The Ties that Bind
by Eruannelaviriel
Summary: AUTHOR'S NOTE IN CHAPTER 16! PLEASE READ!
1. Dreams,Voices, and Things that go bump

AN- HI, Y'all! Okay, this is a repost of chapter 1 because I found a bunch of mistakes. This story takes place around mid- to late season 7. It was originally posted S5, but that didn't work with what I had planned. If the time frame gets confusing, that's why. Also, the first couple chapters are a little slow and pretty badly written, but they get much better around chapter 3-ish. Enjoy!

Disclaimer- I own nothing recognizable. If the characters apear mangled, my fish, Chipo, probably chewed on them to alleviate his chronic boredom.

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Chapter 1

Dreams, Voices, and Things that go "Bump" in the Night

Daniel Jackson woke with a start, hitting his head hard on the bunk above him. _Dang! That hurt!_ He thought. Breathing heavily, he scanned the hut he was in. _Oh, yeah, I'm still on P92-071-what's its name? Ummm...Krift. _He heard snoring in the corner. _Hmmm...Must be about 10:30pm Earth Time; Jack always stops snoring around 11:00._ Teal'c was still in a state of Kelno-reem, the Jaffa form of sleep-meditation, and the members of SG-3 were all asleep. He leaned back onto his pillow with an audible sigh. The bump on his head felt like a dagger through his brain. _That's the fifth time I've done that this week,_ He thought._ If this keeps up, I'm gonna need brain surgery._ A groggy "You okay Daniel?" from the bunk above him made him jump. _Oops. I forgot about Sam. That whack on the bunk probably woke her up._

"I'm fine, Sam," he whispered back.

"Are you sure?" Sam mumbled, "You sound a little stressed,"

Daniel snorted. "Well, confused and in pain would be better words,"

"Did you have 'that dream' again?"

"Yeah, like I said, 'confused'"

Sam turned over in her bunk. "Well, don't get too confused again, okay? The rest of us need sleep too, you know."

"Sorry, Sam. Good night,"

There was no reply; she was asleep.

Daniel rolled over and closed his eyes. _It always seems so **real,**_ he thought, _but I know it's not. It's just a dream. A weird, spooky, and beautiful dream, but a dream no less._ He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, and tried to figure out something—_anything_—about the dream that could tell him why he'd had it every night for the last month._ The city...it's definitely alien; the level of technology is too advanced for Earth, but it's so **real**…_his thoughts drifted away as sleep took him again.

_Whoa! _Daniel stood on the edge of a _very_ tall building in the middle of a densely populated city. He was so high he could barely make out the roads on the ground. In the distance, he could see what looked like huge meadows, but with grass that was the color of the Stargate's event horizon. It was sunset here, coloring the horizon with splashes of pink, yellow and red. He knew he was dreaming, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to wake up anytime soon. _Maybe I'll figure out where I am this time,_ he thought. The Dream usually lasted the same amount of time, but he figured out a little more about it every time.

As he surveyed the city around him, he could see different kinds of buildings; industrial, recreational, executive, and some that looked like homes. Walkways, crowded with beings of all shapes and sizes (Daniel even spotted some Asgard, and there were beings that looked like feline-esque humans), spanned the considerable distances between them. _Wow,_ he thought, as he saw lanes of heavy traffic going through mid-air, some even going through holes built into the buildings, _wherever I am, it's certainly more advanced than Earth…maybe even more than the Tok'ra._

Daniel heard a strange noise behind him, and turned around. A hovercar, like those in the traffic lanes, was heading straight for him, _and it wasn't slowing down_! He ducked just in time, barely managing to keep his head attached to the rest of his body._ I've never had this dream with such…clarity,_ he thought with a shudder. He stepped away from the edge of the building, feeling woozy and disoriented from the close call, and started looking around again.

The roof he was standing on was the color of naquadah, the material that composed the 'Gate, and there was an emplacement of antennae on the far corner. Over to his left there was a large, square pillar that looked rather useless. _What a boring rooftop,_ he thought.

"_**Daniel**._"

He turned around, but saw no one. _Weird; I've never heard a voice in this dream. Hmm..._

**_Come, Daniel_**

He didn't _hear _it that time. At least, not with his ears, but it was in his mind like he _had_ heard it, even though it wasn't very clear. "Come where?" he said aloud.

_**Come to me, Daniel** _

"Come to you? Who are you?"

_**I'm a friend**. _

"A friend?" He raised an eyebrow. "What kind of friend would talk to me in my dreams?"

_**One that needs your help**. _

"You're asking for help from a confused guy in a dream, you know," _What the heck kind of weird trick is my subconscious playing on me? _He thought.

_**It's because of me that you're even having this dream. It's the only way I can communicate with you**. _

The raised eyebrow switched sides. "You've been making me have this dream back on Earth for the last _month_?"

_**Yes**. _

_Uh-oh, _he thought, _if this person can control my dreams, what else can they do?_ _I guess it also means I have no control over what happens here...I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't ducked that hovercar._ The thought made him shudder involuntarily. This was not good.

The sun had set completely now, and even the faintest hints of natural light were gone as lights in the windows throughout the city came on. Daniel relaxed a little with the fading light. _This is really beautiful, _He thought.

_**You may see it in person someday, and not just in a dream**. _

_Whoa, I didn't say that out loud, did I?_

_**No, Daniel. But I still heard you**. _

_Well,_ Daniel's brow furrowed in thought, _this voice _sounds_ female, I just can't figure out why…and she can hear my thoughts. This isn't good, and it's getting weirder by the minute._

Lots of moons were rising now, and Daniel tried to count them. It somehow soothed his worries about this voice. He had just reached seventeen when the voice came again, clearer this time.

_**Are you frightened? **_

"Not really," it was the truth. "I was at first, but it's so beautiful and peaceful here; how could I stay scared?"

_**I know how you feel. **_

"How do you know that?"

_**This is my home. **_

"Well, I guess that would explain it,"

The voice did not reply. In fact, it stayed silent for a long time. Daniel took the opportunity to finish counting the moons. _Wow, _He thought, _twenty-three moons. Any space traffic would have fun with the gravity flux, I'll bet._

_**Not really. We've developed technology that renders the effect completely inert. **_

"There you go, reading my thoughts again! That's really starting to freak me out!" He was getting irritated by this dream that just wouldn't quit, and the fact that the Voice was starting to sound familiar didn't help.

_**If you wish, I'll leave you alone, Daniel**. _

"Ok," Daniel burst suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him, "here's something that's bugging me; you say that you know me, but how?"

_**Come to me and I'll show you. **_

"How?" it was genuine curiosity that drove him now. As the voice got clearer, it started to sound familiar, but he couldn't figure out why. _Maybe seeing her face will help, _he thought. It was worth a shot.

_**There is a door to your left. Go to it**. _

"You mean on the other side of that pillar?" he asked.

_**Yes**. _

"Okay," he did as he was told. _And I thought that pillar was useless, _he thought,_ it must be some sort of stairwell. I wish I would wake up; this dream is getting annoying._

He turned and walked to his left. As he did, each step felt less real than the one before it.

As Daniel reached for the door, a small voice in the back of his mind said _this isn't real. It's just a dream. Why bother?_

At that, the Dream voice practically screamed in his head. _**No, Daniel! You'll wake up if you think that! I need you! Don't wake up...please...I need your help! **_

The pleading voice was fading, though. "I'm sorry," He said, "I wish I could help." With that, he could no longer resist the call of the conscious world.

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PLEASE REVIEW! I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO ME!


	2. Breakfast and a walk in the forest

AN- Ok, I forgot to mention this before, because it wasn't that necessary to the first chapter, but there is a _slight_ crossover with star wars in this story. Namely, the Force (by a different name), and lightsabers (called shimmer swords or light pikes in this story). That's all though, because I want to keep it mainly Stargate SG-1. Also, I came up with this story way back when (like before Daniel died, and before they knew much about the Ancients), so the Ancients are totally different than in the show.

AN2- I know the summery said the dream was going to get dangerous, but that's a while from now, just so you know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate; I'm just borrowing characters and such. I don't own Star Wars either, I'm just borrowing a couple concepts.

Chapter 2

Breakfast and a Walk in the Forest

"Daniel!" the voice of Col. Jack O'Neill woke Daniel up. He hit his head on the upper bunk again; he was so startled, and then promptly fell over the edge of the bed onto the floor.

"Dang it, Jack!" he mumbled groggily, "What do you want?"

"Well, I guess not the entertainment value of watching you get out of bed," O'Neill's eternally sarcastic voice finally had a face to go with it, as Daniel got his eyes to focus, and it was smirking.

"C'mon," O'Neill nodded his head toward the door. "The Kriftians are waiting breakfast for us."

Daniel got up...and stumbled again as he did so. "Oomph." He mumbled into the floor. "What time is it, Jack?"

O'Neill looked at his watch. "Oh, about 0900, Earth Time,"

Putting on his pants, Daniel asked, "Why'd you let me sleep in so late?" _Uh-oh, the dream must have lasted longer this time. Jack never lets me sleep past 0600 when we're off planet._

O'Neill just shrugged. "I don't know. It was the Kriftians' idea; they seemed to think you needed rest. You know how they can sense the weirdest things."

"Yeah,"

"How'd you sleep?"

Daniel had to think about that; he wasn't really sure. "Umm...good question,"

O'Neill gave Daniel "that look"; the one that always seemed to say, by Daniel's definition, _what the heck do you mean, you annoying archeologist?_

Daniel just shrugged and put on his khaki military jacket. "I had a weird dream, that's all,"

That helped smooth the look on O'Neill's face...sort of. "Ah. Well, are you just gonna stand there, or what? I'm hungry!"

"Well, let's go, then," Daniel rolled his eyes and stifled a yawn. "Do you _ever_ stop thinking about yourself and your stomach?"

O'Neill thought about that for exactly one second, then said, "Myself, yes; my stomach, no."

Daniel laughed a little, and it got O'Neill started as well. The two men were still chuckling as they emerged from the hut that served as living quarters for the two SG teams that were on Krift.

Daniel inhaled the scent of the many flowers in the village; the Kriftians had a special bond with living things, and made sure that there was plenty to go around. Major Samantha Carter was waiting for them by the entrance to the community dining hall with Col. Hendrick, the new leader of SG-3.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she said to Daniel; she greeted O'Neill a little more formally. "C'mon; breakfast will get cold if we stand out here."

Daniel stepped inside the building, the scents shifting immediately from flowers to food, and his stomach rumbled. "Frik'lan for breakfast again?" he asked Etalm, the fifteen-year-old son of the Kriftian village leader.

Etalm flashed a smile. "I know it's your favorite of our dishes here, so I suggested it to Tenni last night. It's my favorite, too." Tenni was the resident cook, and all of her creations were, to say the least, unique. Daniel took his usual seat next to the boy, and they ate their breakfast in comfortable conversation.

As Tenni and her assistants set the food before everyone in the dining hall, Daniel closed his eyes. _Mmm...Frik'lan,_ he thought, _I'm not sure why the sun-dried remains of the forest fruits around here taste so good, but I'm glad they're there._ His thoughts began to wander as he ate his meal slowly. _I think I'll ask Jack if I can spend a few more hours down at the ruins before we leave today. The north wall has a derivation of Ancient on it, and I want to see if I can find more._

"Etalm, hand me that small brush there, would ya?" Daniel mumbled. He was on his hands and knees, scrubbing the dirt and rock off of yet another stone in the forest clearing. He felt the wooden handle slap into his palm, and continued his work, mumbling a "thanks" into the ground.

The boy stifled a laugh at the older man's enthusiasm over a rock in the ground, walked over to his knapsack, and pulled out a _vana_ fruit. Munching on the tangy vana, he sat down next to Daniel again. "Find anything interesting, Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel sat up, stretching the tensed-up muscles in his back, and stifled a yawn. "Not yet, but I'm recording these symbols in this section of the ruins. They're a derivation of Ancient, but so far that's the only thing I've figured out."

"You look tired,"

Daniel blinked a couple of times. "Yeah, I just had a weird dream, I guess."

Etalm wasn't convinced. "Something about the dream worries you. What is it?"

Daniel sighed and lay on his back, gazing at the purple leaves of the surrounding forest.

"I've been having this same dream for a month, now, back on Earth. It usually wouldn't bother me, but it was so vivid this time...I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I think someone is trying to talk to me through my dreams." He looked over at Etalm. "I probably sound like a raving lunatic, huh?"

"Not really," the boy got up and stretched. "I'm going for a walk through the Andu. Would you like to join me?"

Daniel nodded, and the two of them started for the trees. "Andu", in the Kriftian language, meant "Land of sunset leaves" which was very appropriate, considering all of the leaves in the Andu forest were different shades of purple, which was the color of the sky at sunset.

"You don't seem too surprised about my claim that someone's talking to me in my dreams," he said, after they had walked for about fifteen minutes, "I've been wondering why,"

Etalm tilted his head slightly to the right and brought it back to vertical again, a Kriftian shrug. "Sometimes _Shenol_ will do things that no one understands. Some of us can feel it, feel it's currents through living things, causing the mind to go down paths that no one ever thought of. _Shenol_ will only speak to you when your mind is quiet, which may explain your dreams. It may be trying to tell you something, or maybe this voice belongs to someone who has mastered the Sheni Arts."

Daniel looked thoughtful. _Shenol_ was the name the Kriftians used to describe the _presence_ for lack of a better word, that they said was within and surrounding all living things. To the SG teams, it all just sounded like a myth, possibly passed on from the Ancients, but Daniel was starting to wonder whether or not it might have some basis in reality. There was no other explanation of how a living being could talk through dreams from who knows how far away. He asked, "What's the Sheni Arts?"

Etalm took a breath, "The Sheni Arts are the mastery of _Shenol_. If properly trained, a man could use it to probe minds, lift objects...even predict the future, to an extent."

They walked some more in companionable silence until Etalm spoke again, "Dr. Jackson, if you would learn to quiet your mind, you may soon be able to hear the voice of _Shenol_. I can teach you a little, but it may be helpful to talk to whoever is trying to find you in the dream."

Daniel was about to respond, when his radio cracked to life, and O'Neill's voice came through. "Daniel, head on back to the 'Gate. We're leaving in five."

"On my way, Jack."

"Sorry Etalm," Daniel shrugged his shoulders in an apology. "But I've gotta go now. Gen. Hammond gets cranky if I don't give a good report."

Etalm laughed. "It's ok, Dr. Jackson, just remember what I said; it may help."

Daniel nodded, turned, and jogged off in the direction of the Stargate, leaving Etalm shaking his head under the purple leaves.


	3. Echoes from the Past

A/N- Ok, I really, really need you people to review this thing and tell me how well I'm doing. Is it good? Bad? Stupid? Just let me know, so I can fix what needs to be fixed. Thanks!

A/N 2- Sorry about the long wait, but my muse was kind to me today. And so I was typing feverously for a couple hours cranking this out. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1 or any characters or places in the show. I do own the Kriftians, including Etalm, and I own Twin Eagle University (my own creation), and Katalina Aurora who will show up later.

**02-14-06 this is a repost. I found some mistakes and corrected them. Thank you for reading!

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Chapter Three

Echoes from the Past

The clanking of Daniel's combat boots on the metal ramp echoed through the Gate Room. Following O'Neill, Carter, Teal'c, and SG-3, he stepped onto the solid concrete as the titanium iris closed behind him.

"SG units one and three, welcome home." General Hammond greeted them, as always, at the bottom of the ramp. "Debriefing will be in one hour. Until then, report to the infirmary."

With the eight people giving a "Yes, sir!" over their shoulders, the two SG teams headed into the long underground corridor toward the domain of Dr. Janet Frasier.

Carter fell into step beside Daniel with practiced ease; working together for five years made the members of SG-1 inseparable friends. "Find anything interesting at the ruins?" she asked.

Daniel jumped. He had been thinking about his conversation with Etalm, and about how he might be able to communicate with the Voice when he had no control over the dream, so he didn't really hear her question. "Huh? Sorry Sam, I was kinda in my own little world for a minute."

She just rolled her eyes and repeated the question.

"Oh. Um...Just that the north wall seems to have a derivation of the Ancient's language that I've never seen before. I think it may be a family history of some sort, but I can't be sure until I figure out some of the verbs."

"Mmm...Okay," Carter didn't really look like she understood, but she smiled and nodded anyway.

Daniel rolled his eyes in annoyance._ I guess I know how Sam feels now;_ He thought,_ no one understands me when I talk about linguistics or archeology._ "I'll have more to say in a couple of days, when I've figured out the changes from basic Ancient to the dialect on the wall."

O'Neill, who had been listening in on the conversation from behind, spoke up. "Did they have different...'tribes' or something? Why would there be more than one form of a language?"

They had reached the infirmary, and Daniel shrugged as he sat down on the bed that Dr. Frasier had indicated. "I don't really know, Jack. There _could_ be different 'tribes' like you said, but I think it's probably more that that there were different families in power in different systems."

The next few minutes passed in relative silence as Dr. Frasier and the other medics gave the teams their checkups. Once that was done, the medics gave SG-1 and 3 clean bills of health, and they all headed to Hammond's briefing room.

Some hours later, Daniel pulled into his driveway, his mind occupied with worries, concerns and curiosities. He thought briefly of telling Dr. Frasier or O'Neill about the Dream, but dismissed the idea quickly. Who knows what they would think of him if he tried to discuss it with either of them? _Besides,_ he told himself,_ if the Voice needs my help, I should probably figure out what exactly they need before I voice my concerns._

He opened the door to his house, entered, and took a deep, calming breath. _I spend **way** too much time at work. I need to come home more often._

Just then, he was greeted the soft _meow-purr_ of his Siamese cat, Bast. Smiling, he bent over and picked her up, reveling in the feeling of her soft fur against his hands. "Hey there, Bast," he said gently, "Did you miss me when I was gone?" the cat purred and rubbed her face against his shoulder, and then promptly jumped out of his hands, took a few steps, turned around and gave him a look that said either _I want to show you something. Follow me,_ or _I'm hungry, so get your fat, geeky but into the bedroom to feed me_. Daniel assumed it was the latter, and followed her into his bedroom where he kept the cat food, and groaned in displeasure at what awaited him on his bedroom floor. "Dang it, girl!" he fumed at the feline, who was now contentedly licking a paw, "I know I should have left the closet door closed!"

A shoebox that apparently belonged on the top shelf of said closet was now on the floor, lid off, and its contents strewn about the room. He grabbed the bag of cat food from the corner, filled her bowl that resided in his bathroom, put the food away, and knelt by the mess that now impeded much of his progress in the small room.

"Oh, Bast," he sighed, "These are my pictures of Kate! You just had to remind didn't you? At least they didn't get ruined."

On a whim, he looked up at the calendar that hung above his headboard. _Yup,_ he thought, _it happened nine years ago, today._ A flood of emotion took him as he gazed at the images looking up at him from the floor. He realized he was crying only when a tear fell on one of the photos at his feet. He picked it up, wiping the moisture off with the pad of his thumb, and a fresh wave of emotion shook him. The image was of Daniel and a beautiful, young, dark haired woman in a deep purple ball gown. Daniel, in a tuxedo, had his arms around her, holding her close as she faced him, and they were smiling as they danced in an exquisite ballroom. They looked so happy.

_We **were** happy,_ he thought, _until the accident, that is. Oh, Kate, I miss you..._ his thoughts trailed off into oblivion as he thought about the day they met...

_**FLASHBACK:**_

_Daniel emerged from his tent, sweaty and dusty from the sunny Egyptian desert, and looked to the west. The sun would set soon; giving relief to the tired workers that ate, drank, slept, and toiled at the dig site. Junan, his aide, came jogging up to him from the south, the general direction of the excavation. "Dr. Jackson!" Junan was breathless as he approached Daniel, who was the excavation supervisor and head archeologist. "The archeologist from the University has just arrived, Dr. Jackson" he said in heavily accented English. _

_Daniel grimaced. The archeologists straight from the University were always hard to deal with. Most young ones thought that they knew everything there was to know about anything that existed. Daniel knew better. "Probably some obnoxious young man fresh from graduation, with no experience, and probably never slept in a tent before in his life." He grumbled._

_Junan looked at his employer with a smile. "Oh, no, sir." He said. "She is quite experienced, I'm told. Her name is Dr. Katalina O'Hara, and she rivals you in the knowledge of ancient Egyptians. She's not really from the University either, but merely working through them. I think she's from the American air force. She is to be your assistant and colleague throughout the time of the dig, or so it says in this letter." With that, Junan handed him a letter, the emblem of the Twin Eagle University embossed in gold leaf on the letterhead. Daniel scanned the letter, line by line, his face contorting in different ways as he progressed through the words. "Well," he said finally, "let's go meet this 'Dr. O'Hara', shall we?" with that, he gestured for Junan to lead him to his newest recruit on the excavation team._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

By now, Daniel had progressed through the empty house during his reverie, and was now slouching on the couch with an empty beer bottle in his hand, and the box of photos on his lap. He hated this time of the year, when all of the memories would come flooding back to him. Sometimes he thought of all the good times they had had together. They had fallen in love eventually. It took a while, but there were times when he and Dr. O'Hara-_"Please, call me 'Kate'" she had said-,_ would talk through the night over a game of chess, and maybe a bottle of wine if they had made an interesting discovery, and sometimes she would find him out in the desert, looking at the stars, and she would sit next to him to give him astronomy lessons, or just to stargaze.

_Never thought that one day, I would visit some of those places._ He thought.

Kate always had an amazing knowledge of astronomy, archeology, and languages. She never backed down on her point of view unless you could give her enough convincing evidence to change her mind, she saw both sides of an issue nearly all the time, she had an infectious laugh that he could never tire of, and her smile...

Daniel had been struck speechless the first time she truly smiled at him.

The clock on the wall made its presence known by chiming-loudly-eleven times. Daniel shrugged, stretched, and set the box down on the floor. _She would kick me if she saw me like this, wouldn't she? She'd tell me to get over it, move on...I did, too, for a while, but Sha're is dead now, too. Kate was the only archeologist that supported my theory about the pyramids of Egypt, too._

He got up and threw away the glass bottle that was in his hand, and then made his way back to the couch. Picking up the box, he placed it, almost reverently, on the top shelf of his closet. Turning around to strip to his boxers for bed, his expression turned thoughtful as he remembered the far-off look she would get in her eyes when she talked about the stars.

He wondered now if she had known about the Stargate. She was Air Force, and, now that he thought about it, she had actually said that her work in the USAF was based in Colorado, and that it involved "Deep space radar telemetry". Maybe she had even worked with Sam. He'd have to ask her in the morning, but right now, he needed sleep.

Falling into bed from emotional weariness, he drifted immediately to sleep, all thoughts of the Dream and the Voice gone for now.

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REVIEW! 


	4. Discoveries

A/N- Please Review!!!!!!! I need those little tidbits that tell me how I'm doing!

Kudos to anyone who can spot the not-very-subtle Dark Angel reference in this chapter!

Disclaimer- I don't own SG-1 or anything recognizable, including Egyptian mythology, (come on, who would want to own _that_? Besides me, of course.) or The Crash. I do, however, own any original characters or places in this story. Please don't sue me, because you'll only get my Taekwon-Do uniform, and an empty soda bottle.

A/N2- For those of you who don't know, Bast is an Egyptian goddess; giver of health and laughter, daughter of Ra, goddess of war and happiness. Kate gave Bast to Daniel when she was a kitten, and for those of you who know of Daniel's bad allergies, Siamese cats are hypoallergenic.

Chapter Four

Discoveries

Daniel woke to the sensation of Bast licking his chin at six o'clock in the morning. Looking confused for a moment, he picked the feline up and placed her gently on the floor. He sat up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _Stupid dream,_ he thought, _as soon as that dang door opens, I'm back in reality because my stupid cat couldn't wait another ten minutes to get fed._

Daniel rubbed his eyes and reached over to his nightstand for his glasses. Slipping them on one-handed, he blinked his eyes back into focus. He was tired. Not only did he have the usual Dream, but he dreamed about Kate as well. He had always loved to take her dancing on their off evenings from work. Her favorite place was a small, quaint, back-ally bar in New York City, and they would go there every time they passed through.

The Crash, as it was called, was a converted warehouse with three rooms; the bar/restaurant area had a sculpture made from bike frames behind the bar, loud sports that usually ended in bad collisions (hence the name of the bar) playing on TV, and tables made from manhole covers. The game room consisted of a pool table and a foosball table, along with another mini-bar in the corner. And then there was the dance floor, witch would sometimes be covered in half pipes and grinding rails for bicycle stunt competitions.

Daniel had so many memories of that place, and they were all with Kate, like that one special day...

_**FLASHBACK:**_

"_Hey, Daniel! Come watch me beat Helen to shreds at a game of pool!" Kate was smiling at him from across the room, watching him talk to some of their buddies from Twin Eagle. It was her birthday today, and she was enjoying herself to the fullest. Gifts were stacked high on a manhole-cover-turned-table, and Daniel had decided not to put his small, yet very meaningful gift in the pile. He wanted his gift to be last and most surprising. "Sorry, sweetheart," Daniel said, "But you've whipped her enough. Why don't you come open your gifts?"_

_Kate was about to protest, but all her party guests were shouting "Yeah, come on, Kate!" or "S'bout time someone told her to do that!" which made her blush. "You know I don't even need anything," She said, "But I'll humor you!"_

_Daniel grinned and walked over to Kate and wrapped his arm lovingly around her shoulder. Stroking the olive skin on her arm, he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. "Come on, Kate," He said. "You're not getting out of it this year."_

_She looked up at him with the expression he had seen on her so many times before. The one that just seemed to say, "Do I **have** to, sweetie?"_

_Daniel just smiled and pulled his girlfriend by the arm to within reach of the gifts. "Go on," he said, "I'll save mine for last."_

_Despite her earlier protests, she eventually gave in and even started to enjoy carefully unwrapping each one; as if the paper were so fragile and precious that she couldn't bear to harm it. By the time she had plowed through all of them, she was truly having a good time. Kate looked up at Daniel in confusion after she had opened the last package on the table "Well?" she said, "Where's yours?"_

_Daniel just smiled, reached into his pocket, pulled out a small box, and got down on one knee in front of her. "Kate," He said, "From the moment I met you a year ago, I knew you would be someone that would always be there for me. First, as a friend, you were someone I could confide in, but then I began to fall in love." Here he paused, took an emotional breath, and opened the box, revealing a glimmering gold band with a solitary diamond. "I know now that, not only will you always be there for me, and I for you, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Katalina O'Hara...Will you marry me?"_

_Kate was speechless. Daniel could see the tears welling up in her eyes, and he started to wonder weather he had done the right thing, when she finally took his arm and pulled him off of his knee to face her. "Yes," she said, "Yes, Daniel, I will!" with that, he picked her up and spun her around, kissed her, and placed the gold band on her finger amidst all the yells, catcalls, and whistles produced by their friends._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Daniel smiled at the memory of that day. _Well_, he thought, rousing himself, _No point in sitting here like a bump on a log. SG-1's got another mission and I need to be conscious for it. _

With that, Daniel got up, brushed his teeth, took a shower, got dressed and made coffee.

_This stuff's a wonder drug for those of us that aren't "morning people"_ he thought as he sipped the hot, black liquid in his mug. Scanning the morning paper that had been flung neatly onto the roof of his porch (he had had to stand on a patio chair to get to it), he mulled over what had happened in his dream last night; instead of waiting for the Voice, he had gone straight for the door in the pillar. When he was within five paces, the Voice had made itself known. He spoke with it for a while, discovering that, yes, the owner of the Voice _was_ a master of the Sheni Arts. Etalm had been right. But when he opened the door, he didn't even get a glimpse of their face, because that was when Bast had decided she was hungry.

He took another sip of his coffee and grimaced; it was cold now, so he looked at the clock. He set his mug down and grabbed his wallet and keys. _Can't be late for work, now, can we?_

Daniel was unusually silent as he dressed in his military cold-weather BDU for the mission to P74-838. O'Neill apparently noticed, and questioned him about it.

"What's got you so spaced, Daniel?" O'Neill asked.

"Huh?" Daniel hadn't been listening again.

"Case in point." The colonel sighed. "What's with you the last couple days? You totally space for minutes at a time. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Jack. I just have a lot on my mind."

The CO didn't look too convinced, but let the subject drop.

Half an hour later, Daniel, O'Neill, Carter, and Teal'c were out on a glacier in the middle of nowhere. Daniel was walking with Carter one direction while O'Neill and Teal'c walked in the other looking for signs of civilization.

Daniel marched forward into the biting wind, only half of his mind on the task at hand. "Sam," he said, "before I came to the SGC, did you ever know another Air Force Captain by the name of Katalina O'Hara?"

Carter stopped in her tracks and looked Daniel squarely in the eyes. "How did you know about her?" she asked.

"We worked together one winter at a dig in Egypt. She was my assistant archeologist at the site. It occurred to me last night that you might have known her, because her work in the Air Force was apparently 'deep space radar telemetry', and classified 'top secret'. So, you knew her?"

Carter stood with her mouth open. "So, were you the fiancé she always spoke about? I never found out what happened to her in Egypt when we lost contact. Do you know?"

Daniel cringed. "Yes, I was her fiancé, and yes, I know what happened to her, but it's not easy for me to talk about. I just assumed you knew."

"We were inseparable friends. Most of the off-time that she didn't spend with you, we spent together." Carter looked sad. "What happened to her?"

Daniel took a deep breath through his nose so that he wouldn't get snow in his mouth. "It was about a week before our wedding day, and we were in a bus in Cairo, on our way to the airport for our flight home from a dig. It was around midnight, and we were crossing a bridge over the Nile, when a Semi driver fell asleep at the wheel and rammed our bus head-on." He took another deep breath, realizing that he had tears on his face that were quickly freezing. Carter cringed at that last sentence, and Daniel continued his story, the release feeling good in spite of the pain. "We were right over the river at the time. The impact threw nearly everyone from the bus. I landed on the opposite side of the bridge and got knocked out, but Kate..." Here he trailed off and swallowed hard. "Kate... was thrown into the water. They searched the river for weeks, but they never even found her body. I looked for months in different places around the city, but there was no record of her anywhere, ever. She's dead. That's all anyone could know for sure." He had to stop, the pain was too much.

Carter placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Daniel. Thank you for telling me, I...Kate and I were like sisters, and I never knew what happened to her. Thank you."

"Cart...aniel...ome in..." O'Neill's voice crackled over the radio.

Carter spoke into her own to reply. "Go ahead, sir,"

The connection was bad because of the weather, but they got the gist of it. "No signs of...ivilization. Repo...the 'Gate in ...ive minutes."

"Yes, sir. On our way, sir."

Carter and Daniel turned around, the wind now at their backs, and headed for the Stargate, each one thinking about Kate, her death, and how good a fireplace and a mug of hot cocoa would be.


	5. Unintended Danger

**A/N**- Thanks to all for the reviews! At least, to **roseofthegate**, who is probably the only one reading my work at the moment, unless I have more people reading this, and you guys aren't taking the few seconds to even say something like, "good job" or "I hate this story!". takes deep breath Anyway, here's the next chapter! It has a little repetition of chap 4 ½, but just a little. **Enjoy, and plleeeeeaaaaasssseeee R&R!!!!!**

**Disclaimer**: If I owned SG-1, Jack and Sam would have long ago found a way around, through, or above regulations, and would be happily married, getting Cassie to baby-sit their kids when they went on missions. Therefore, I don't own them. Please don't sue, because you'll only get a pile of homework, an empty Q-tip container, and a dirty pillowcase.

Chapter Five

Unintended Danger

_And that concludes our broadcast._ The finely dressed late-night newscaster said in a bored tone.

Daniel picked up the TV remote and hit the 'off' button. Sliding down into a laying position on his couch, he kicked off his shoes and stared at the ceiling. _If I don't get up now, _he thought, _I'll fall asleep on the couch, and that always gives me a headache in the morning._ He lay there for another minute or so, trying to force his muscles to move at his command. Finally, he succeeded, and he made his way to the bedroom. Moving Bast, who had, up to that point, been sleeping comfortably on Daniel's pillow, he flopped onto the bed, barely conscious enough to undress and slip under the covers. The moment his hand came to rest beside him after turning out the light, he was asleep.

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Suddenly, he was on the roof again, staring out at the airlanes and the bright blue meadows beyond the city. The sun was high in the sky, and none of the twenty-three moons were visible. This time, Daniel wasted no time in heading for the door on the other side of the large pillar. When he reached it, he waited.

**_Welcome back, Daniel, _**the Voice whispered in his head.

"I was wondering when you would show up, you know," Daniel repressed a smile, even though it had only been about a minute, he wanted to hear the Voice before he opened the door.

**_Daniel, do you truly want to know who I am? _**the Voice sounded a little unsure...a little..._hesitant_. This took Daniel by surprise.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked.

_**Once you find out, I'm afraid that you may not trust me or want to help me. **_

Daniel's brow wrinkled. "If you truly need my help, then I don't see why I shouldn't see you,"

Even though he couldn't see it, the Voice seemed like It's shoulders had slumped, and that It was steeling It's nerves for the meeting about to take place. **_Very well, _**It said, **_Open the door, and meet me. _**

Daniel reached for the knob, opened the door, and was struck speechless by the face that greeted him. His jaw dropped and he had to lean against the side of the door for a moment.

"Kate?!..."

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He woke up with a start, breathing heavily. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute. _Kate? No...I must have been mistaken...no, I could never forget what she looked like...what **was** it then?_ He ran a hand over his face, feeling the sweat that had accumulated on his brow. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table, which read _2:38am_. The Dream only lasted a few minutes; ten at the most, and he was wondering why, when it hit him; he was on earth. The Dream lasted longer the farther away from earth he was, so when he was off-planet, it lasted as long as three hours or more. He would have to be careful when he went off-planet now; who knows how long he could be unconscious if he fell asleep too far from home?

He mentally debated weather or not to tell O'Neill, Carter, Dr. Frasier, or Teal'c, but decided that they would simply keep him on earth, or call him crazy. _And I've **definitely** had enough of the latter in my career,_ he thought.

And there was also the question of Kate.

He decided not to tell anyone of his Dream yet, and to see if he could figure out why Kate was there. In this case, longer dreams off-world meant more time to talk to Kate. If anything happened, and he slept too long, SG-1 would simply take him back to Earth, and he would revive in a few minutes. _At least, I hope I will..._

"Chevron five encoded," Sgt. Davis was dialing the 'Gate for a new planet.

"So, Carter..." O'Neill asked, while watching the gate light up from the control room with his hands in his pockets, "Why are we going to this place again?"

Carter stole a quick glance at her CO. "Because, sir," she responded, "P63-898 is a very ecologically diverse planet, unlike most we've been to. If there's any civilization, it would probably be as diverse as Earth's population as it spreads through the different climates."

"They could even be parallel to some of the cultures here," Daniel added.

"Chevron six encoded,"

Daniel continued, "We don't know if there even is any civilization here. Even if there isn't, it's a great opportunity to study alien plants and animals."

"Great," O'Neill rolled his eyes, "I thought I left leaf and bug collections behind when I graduated from school."

"Chevron seven...locked!" SG-1 turned toward the window of the control room just in time to see the blue subspace vortex wash into the embarkation room, flooding everything with an eerie, watery glow.

"SG-1, you have a go," They all turned toward the voice of Gen. Hammond, who had come down the stairs from his office.

"Yes, sir!" O'Neill and Carter said crisply. Daniel and Teal'c simply nodded, and strapped on their backpacks.

Once on the other side of the event horizon, O'Neill turned to squint at Carter. "Forget to mention the glare, did ya?"

"Sorry, sir," she responded, "But, yes, I forgot to mention that P63-898 has two suns. It's one of the things that make this planet's ecosystem so unique."

"So...how long do we have to stay here, again?" O'Neill was searching for his sunglasses in the many pockets of his BDU.

"I believe General Hammond stated that we were to stay here for four days, O'Neill," Teal'c was looking for his sunglasses as well; the light was intense enough for the usually unfazed Jaffa to have trouble seeing.

"Don't let the heat and light of daytime fool you, sir. This planet's temperature gets down to the low 'teens at night."

"Well, that explains the thermal blankets we brought," Daniel and Carter already had their sunglasses on. He looked around at the many plants surrounding the 'Gate, noticing that many were flowering plants. He sneezed loudly. _You would think that these allergies wouldn't be much of a problem with all the medication I take,_ he thought, _but apparently, pollen is always more prevalent on other planets._

The rest of the day was spent hiking through the surrounding orange-red meadows. Off to the left, there was a long beach, with beautiful waves rolling in constantly, and the far-off cry of strange sea-birds. Around 1700, Earth Time, O'Neill announced that they would set up camp on a small hill about twenty yards from the 'Gate. The suns were setting quickly, and a biting wind was starting to blow.

"And I forgot to bring marshmallows," Daniel muttered. The campfire they had made a few hours later was pitiful; the planet was so moist, it was hard to find good firewood. He yawned. "Well," he said, "I'm gonna turn in. See you in the morning." The others said their respective 'good nights' and Daniel ducked into his tent, tired from the day of activity. Shivering, Daniel slipped into his sleeping bag, with a thermal blanket on top for good measure. Too tired to think, he slipped off his glasses and set them on the ground beside him, making sure that he could reach them quickly if needed, but far enough that he wouldn't roll over and crush them in his sleep. Satisfied that everything was in order, he let himself drift into unconsciousness.

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Again, he was on the rooftop. Again, he headed straight for the door, and again, Kate was there when he opened it.

"Hello, Daniel," She was smiling.

"Hi..." Daniel was just standing there, looking at her, drinking in the sight of her. He hadn't seen her in seven years. _Wow, _he thought,_ I'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was._ He saw her blush, and realized that she could probably still hear his thoughts. After all, she _was_ controlling the Dream.

She looked at him and said, "Would like to take a walk with me?"

Daniel nodded, and they strode down the stairs, side by side, until they reached what Kate called a 'turbolift', and rode to the bottom floor of the building.

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"Carter," O'Neill was obviously annoyed. "Where's Daniel? It's 1000 hours, he should be up by now."

Carter just looked at him apologetically. "Still asleep, sir. All that hiking yesterday must've worn him out pretty bad. He won't wake up."

O'Neill rolled his eyes.

"I left a note beside his pillow that says to radio us when he wakes up," She continued.

O'Neill nodded his head, and they headed into the treeline.


	6. Time Limit

AN- The beginning of this chapter is for "iamari", who suggested that I should give Teal'c more of a role in my work. Truthfully, I never really got the point of having Teal'c around for the first few seasons; all he ever did was stand quietly and look intimidating. I'm glad they've given him more of a personality in the last few seasons. Anyway, On With the Story! BTW, I have no idea if the medical stuff at the end of the chapter is true or not; it just sounded good and it's needed for the story to work.

Disclaimer- If I owned SG-1, do think for a _second_ that I would be sitting around writing fan fiction when I'm not working? Do you think I would _need _to work? Ha! The extents of my possessions are a beanbag chair and a Taekwon-do uniform. So there!

Chapter 6

Time Limit

O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c returned to camp later that night, expecting to see Daniel awake.

This, unfortunately, was not the case.

"Hey, T'?" O'Neill called over to the towering Jaffa.

"Yes, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Go see if Space Monkey's awake, would ya?"

Carter turned and stifled a giggle at O'Neill's nickname for Daniel as Teal'c did as the colonel asked. He emerged a moment later from Daniel's tent. "I believe that Daniel Jackson is still not 'among the land of the living' as you like to put it, O'Neill." He said.

O'Neill rolled his eyes in a gesture that was becoming all too common for his liking. "Geez, what's got him so wiped out?" He asked no one in particular.

"Who knows, sir?" Carter said from where she was kneeling on the ground making a campfire, "Maybe he spent the other night partying too hard."

O'Neill looked at his second in command incredulously. "Daniel? Party? Ha! Good one, Carter."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Do you not believe that Daniel Jackson has a social life, O'Neill?"

"No, I don't believe it for a second."

Carter finally succeeded in creating a somewhat pitiful spark in the wood, and was now working on making it big enough to be useful. "You never know, sir," she said.

"Whatever," O'Neill stifled a yawn. "Well, goodnight campers! I'm gonna turn in."

"Let me get this straight, Kate," Daniel said, "You were thrown out of the bus and into the water, but your father found you, unconscious, washed up onto the shore of the Nile about half a mile downstream. You aren't human, and your father took you back here, where he says you belong?" They were walking between buildings, now, and darting between the beings of all shapes and sizes while the two of them made their way to another building.

She sighed. "Yeah, that about sums it up. He was furious when he found out that I was engaged, and he forbade me to ever contact you until about a year and a half ago. By then, you had been working for the SGC for about three years, and it was extremely difficult to find you. Father would only let me stay on earth for two weeks to see if I could find you, and when I couldn't, he brought me home again. Only recently, when you had gone far enough from Earth, and close enough to my home planet, could I sense through Shenol that you were even still alive." She paused long enough to dodge a rather rushed-looking creature with scaly skin and large white eyes that was elbowing its way through the crowd, and then she continued. "It was then that I tried to contact you, but your experience in the SGC gave you strong mental shields. It was only in your sleep that I could enter your mind, and when you were on earth, I could only keep you there for about five or ten minutes. Then you went to Krift: It was far enough from Earth, and close enough to me, that I could keep you in the dream a little longer. We talked, but for some reason, I just couldn't work up the courage to appear to you."

"Why not?" Daniel asked, following her inside the building where they had just arrived.

"I..." She trailed off, and seemed to truly consider the question. "I guess I just didn't want to risk losing you again." He must have looked as confused as he felt, because she immediately tried to elaborate. "I mean, I wasn't sure if you'd believe that it was me. Or that, if you did, you would never trust me again."

_How could she say that?_ Thought Daniel, _She means so much to me. I will always trust her. I love her._

Kate blushed. "Really?" she asked.

"Huh?" Daniel didn't know what she was talking about.

She smiled that electric smile that still managed to send shivers down his spine. "I can still hear your thoughts Daniel. Do you really love me after all this time?"

Daniel looked as if she had smacked him. "How can you ask that?" he grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to face him, which she had been reluctant to do on her own. "I do now, and I always will, love you. Nothing has changed. If you can read my thoughts, you should know that already." He wiped away a single tear that was running down her cheek, and pulled her into a hug. It felt good to have her in his embrace after all these years.

"Thank you," she said, as they pulled away from each other. "I guess I just needed to hear you say it out loud."

He smiled. "Just read my thoughts if you want to hear it again."

"I know that bugs you...I'll try not do it if you want."

"Thanks,"

They were heading to a hanger-most likely a sort of hovercar parking lot-when Daniel spoke again. "You never told me what, exactly, you are. You said you weren't human, but you never elaborated." He said.

"Well..." She drew out the syllable, making as long as she could without sounding like she was avoiding the question. "The best way to describe it to you is that I'm an Ancient."

Daniel almost tripped on a stair. "A...A...Ancient?"

"Sir, He's still not awake." Carter emerged from Daniel's tent the next morning.

"Still?!" O'Neill could not keep the frustration out of his voice. "Go wake him up!"

Carter looked a little concerned. "I tried, sir. Nothing I do will wake him."

"Alright, alright..." Mumbled O'Neill. "...need anything done around here, you gotta do it yourself." He got up off of the log he had been sitting on, stretched, and sauntered over to Daniel's tent. Peering inside, he could he Daniel contentedly snoring away. He went to the younger mans side, waved a hand in front of Daniel's face, and, unsatisfied, gave him a kick to the ribs.

Daniel never even flinched.

"Hmmm..." O'Neill doubted that this was a good thing. The archeologist was usually a _very_ light sleeper. "Carter," He called his second in command as he stepped into the glaring sun. "How long can the human body survive without water?"

She looked him with even more concern than before. "Only about five days, sir. After two days or so, the body starts to lose mass to conserve energy to survive." She hesitated. "Why do you ask?"

O'Neill pointed his thumb over his shoulder in Daniel's direction. "Because Danny Boy's been asleep for thirty-six hours, and hasn't moved a muscle. Something must be wrong. Hey, Teal'c!" He called over to his friend.

"Yes, O'Neill?" Teal'c jogged over to where the Colonel was standing.

"Grab Daniel; we're taking him back to base."

Teal'c went inside the tent, emerging a minute later with a still-snoozing Daniel slung across his shoulders. Together, they headed for the 'Gate.

Dr. Frasier straightened from her previous hunched over position, and pulled the stethoscope from her ears. "Well, sirs," She said with a sigh. "Whatever knocked him out is doing a good job. I can't do anything to wake him up."

"What _can_ you do, Doctor?" This from General Hammond.

"Aside from a hydration drip and keeping track of his vital signs? Not much."

"What's the bad news?" O'Neill asked from where he was leaning on the doorjamb.

"Sir, he's in a deep state of REM sleep. If he stays like this to long, his brain could simply shut down from lack of outside stimulus."

"What's REM sleep?" O'Neill asked of the unfamiliar term.

Frasier looked up from the needle she was attaching to Daniel's arm. "REM sleep is 'Rapid Eye Movement', sir. It's the deepest state of unconsciousness a human can healthily obtain. He's dreaming, sir, and if he doesn't wake up soon...he could die."


	7. Close Call

AN- Thanks bunches for all the loving (and sometimes very entertaining) reviews! does the happy dance I'm on 3 "Favorites" lists (though I think that they're mostly for my other story, "Reunion")!

I know I said that this was around S4 or S5, but I think it'll make more sense if it's S7.

Many thanks to Rose of the Gate, my wonderful beta, who, unfortunately, never got around to emailing me back on this chapter, so any and all mistakes here are my own. sorry!

Disclaimer- I own nothing recognizable. Must we go through this every time? I own an empty toothpick container, the dirty Q-tip that's sitting next to me on the desk, and a Taekwon-Do uniform. Anyone who would want to sue for cloth, plastic, and a tiny cotton ball stuck to the end of a stick, has serious mental issues.

Chapter Seven

Close Call

"Well," Kate said. "This is it!" The two of them were standing before the door of a massive mansion that must have been able to house an army. "Now you can meet my oh-so-friendly dad," She stated sarcastically.

Daniel grimaced slightly. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked.

"Not really, but don't worry; I threatened Father with bodily harm if he's too rude to you, but don't expect a warm welcome, either."

"Thanks for the warning," Daniel's grimace became more and more noticeable the farther they went into the house. One part of his brain, however, was practically dizzy with excitement. He was actually walking through the halls of a dwelling built by the Ancients! He scanned the walls curiously, logging away every detail in his mind for future reference, while the other part of his brain was bracing him for the inevitable upcoming confrontation with Kate's father.

"By the way," Kate was saying, "I don't know if this may happen, but let me know if you have any sudden, sharp headaches while you're with me."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Sudden...sharp...headaches." he repeated suspiciously. "...whyyyyyy?" He drew the word out to make it known that he was concerned.

Kate bit her lip in a gesture that Daniel was finding harder and harder to ignore. _I'm starting to remember –vividly-_ _why I find her so beautiful._ He thought.

Kate suddenly remembered that he had asked her a question. "Umm...It may be a side effect of the mind link that we're sharing at the moment. Too much stress on your brain at once could cause some pain."

"Great, as if my migraines aren't bad enough when I'm awake." Mumbled Daniel. Suddenly, he was on one knee on the marble floor in the hall. "Aaagh!" He gave a small scream, putting his hands to his temples.

Kate turned at the noise. "Daniel?" She grimaced. "Oh, no. I didn't think this would happen so soon."

* * *

The sudden, intense beeping of the machines attached to Daniel brought Dr. Frasier, Gen. Hammond, and SG-1 running to his side from Frasier's office, where they had been discussing whether or not to wake him, and how to do it.

"What's going on, doctor?" Hammond demanded.

"I'm not sure sir!" She shouted over the beeping of the machines and the sudden buzz of orders being given. She gasped as looked at the brainwave readouts. "Give him a neural sedative, stat!"

"What's wrong?" one of the other medics questioned.

"His brain patterns just shifted completely!" Frasier replied, with a worried look on her face.

* * *

Kate touched the side of Daniel's head. "Goodbye Daniel. You're on Earth now; I'm having a hard time keeping our link. I won't be able to do this for a few days -the Dream, I mean- because they'll probably keep you on Earth to recover, so I'll see you later. You have to wake up now."

Daniel looked up at Kate. Her face was blurred from the pain shooting through his brain, but he managed to give a strained smile. "Well," He said through clenched teeth, "I hope this isn't really goodbye. Frasier's paranoid about people in comas coming into the infirmary. She'll probably keep me on Earth for a long time."

Kate smiled and bent down to give Daniel a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye, Daniel. I love you. Never forget that." The hand that had been on the side of his head moved to his left temple.

Suddenly, the building, Kate, and everything else gave way to blackness.

* * *

"Dr. Frasier, his brain patterns just went back to normal!" A nurse said from the other side of Daniel's bed.

"Oh, thank God." Frasier wiped her forehead with her sleeve. Checking his vitals again, she was about to change Daniel's hydration drip bag when his eyelids fluttered open. She watched the usual emotional scenario of waking up cross his face; a split second of confusion, wondering where he was, relief, recognizing the SGC, and then a simple why-the-heck-am-I-in-the-infirmary look he always got when waking up here. "Hey, sleepyhead," She said quietly, "You gave us all a real scare there for a second, Daniel. How do you feel?"

Daniel reached up to rub his eyes with his right hand, discovered that he couldn't because of the IV, and used his left. "Like I swallowed a few dozen bottles of sleeping pills," he slurred, "How long was I out?"

"About four days," Came the reply, but this time, O'Neill was speaking.

Daniel noticed him sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Four days?" he repeated.

"Yeah, about half of that was on P63-898."

"Half?"

O'Neill rolled his eyes and sighed. "Is there an echo in here?"

"Echo?" Daniel said before he realized it. He burst out laughing. "Sorry. I swear I didn't do that on purpose."

"Glad to see you're back among the living, Danny." O'Neill got up and patted Daniel on the head. "I'll go tell the others that you're awake."

"Okay," Daniel yawned. "You know," he said to Frasier, "For having been in dreamland for four days, I'm really sleepy."

"Just let me finish these tests, and you can go home and get some sleep." She replied. "Your body is physically worn out from whatever you were doing in 'Dreamland', so you should still feel a little tired."

"Yeah," he yawned again.

On a far off world, a young woman opened her eyes and got up from the pillow she had been sitting on. She crossed the room and stepped out onto the balcony, the drapes teasing her skin as they were blown by the breeze. Kate jumped up and stood, perfectly balanced, on the metal railing. She stared at the sunset, watching the many hues slowly fade from the sky as more and more of the twenty-three familiar moons became visible. She looked down the forty-odd stories below her, marveling at how the sun caught so many objects in its blinding rays. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she noticed the plume of smoke on the horizon, marring the bright blue prairie; a far-off indicator of the battle going on in the fields. "Daniel," She said, "I need you here. We are so lost. You are the only one who can help us."

Only the silent breeze answered her. She had left Daniel to recover; she hadn't known that she would cause him so much pain. Now, because of her own idiocy, she had to wait until he was off-world again. By then, though, it might be too late for her and her people.

Sighing, she hopped back down to the balcony and strode back inside. With a flicker of her mind, she shut the balcony door behind her, plunging the room into near-darkness. She walked to her bedstand and picked up a water-damaged photograph in a frame. She was in a deep purple ball gown, Daniel in a tux, with his arms around her. They looked happy. Those were happier times. She flinched as she sensed the sudden pain of dozens of people, almost physically hearing their screams of agony. Suddenly, as one, they were completely silenced. She walked out onto the balcony again, and again jumped up onto the railing. As she expected, another plume of smoke had joined the first, creating twin columns of black stench against the fading sunset.

* * *

AN- dodges thrown produce again I know, I know! I'll try and get the next chap up sooner than this one.


	8. Strong Enemies, Old and New

**AN-** Okay, my last chapter got about two reviews, so I'm going to threaten to halt progress on this until I get some feedback! However, thanks to those of you who have been reading and reviewing faithfully! You know who you are, and you are awesome! ::Big Hug::

Also, for the purpose of this fic, I'm going to pretend that I know about the Furlings. I made my own interpretation, so if you don't like it, tough!

**Big thanks to Rose of the Gate, my totally awesome beta! Without her, I would have many, many holes in the details of this story. THANK YOU!!!!**

**Disclaimer-**It seems that Sci-Fi Channel, Gekko Corp., Double Secret Productions, etc. don't want to give up the rights to Stargate SG-1. I am therefore stuck with a bubble gum wrapper, a bean bag chair, and a little hovercraft/helicopter/UFO thingy that makes lots of noise. Other than that, I OWN NOTHING BUT KATE!!!

Chapter Eight

Strong Enemies, Old and New

The water was cold, close to the point of intolerable. Daniel cupped his hands under the frigid flow and splashed the icy water on his face. Shaking his head vigorously, he reached for a towel. He rubbed the soft, wooly towel on his face and scrutinized himself using the mirror in front of him. He looked terrible. He had thinned considerably from malnutrition, and he desperately needed a haircut. He rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"Mornin' Daniel," O'Neill's cheery voice echoed in the locker room.

"Hi, Jack," Daniel didn't feel like being cheery. He wanted to sleep.

"How're ya feeling?" O'Neill asked with concern.

"Like I need a vacation,"

"Well, you're in luck. I came to tell you that Hammond's giving SG-1 a week of leave."

"Really?"

O'Neill was grinning. "Yep. I'm gonna go fishing. You wanna come?"

"No, thank you. I'm going to go home, sleep, and maybe clean out my closet."

O'Neill gave a sarcastic snort. "Well, _that's_ the ideal way to spend a week's vacation after a life-threatening beauty nap."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Life-threatening beauty nap?" he repeated.

"What else could I call it?" O'Neill said. "And the raised eyebrow expression is reserved for Teal'c only!" he added.

The archeologist simply rolled his eyes, pulled on his black t-shirt, grabbed his jacket and keys, and left, shouting "By Jack! See you in a week!" over his shoulder.

O'Neill shook his head and sighed. "I'll _never_ understand that kid," he mumbled.

* * *

Daniel set his jacket and keys down on the kitchen counter as he walked by. Bast _meowed_ her indignation at having needed to catch her own meals for the last week, and got her food bowl refilled. Daniel was ecstatic and sad at the same time as he mulled over the chaos that composed his life recently. _Well,_ he thought, _she's alive, and needs my help. I just wish she would come out and say what the problem is._ He flopped onto his bed, allowing his eyes to close. _She said that she wouldn't be able to talk to me until I was recovered, so I guess that means until I go off-world, Kate will have to keep her mind occupied some other way._ He turned onto his side, and kicked off his shoes. His thoughts were centering on Kate a lot lately. _I wonder what she does in the mornings for exercise. _He recalled the long, pre-dawn jogs through the desert that they would take together when they were at a dig. _That mansion is big, but I doubt that there's much room to run. She loves to run._ A huge yawn interrupted all function for a while, including thought. _Well, Janet said I needed to sleep, so I might as well use this week of leave to the fullest.

* * *

_

Kate ran through the massive halls, feeling only slightly the joy she usually got from the exercise. Her lightweight boots gave a steady, quick beat as she cruised through her home at close to top speed. She turned abruptly, arriving at her destination. The large room was dark and slightly crowded. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder as she walked in, and turned. "Father," She nodded slightly in acknowledgement. There was a large floating 3D image in the middle of the room, glowing a dull yellow. Kate recognized it as a map of the plains on the outskirts of the city.

"We have been waiting a long time to meet you, Commander Aurora," Came an unfamiliar voice from the dark. The speaker was short and lanky, with pale, blue-grey, shiny skin and large, dark eyes that showed the age and knowledge their owner possessed.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know who you are. Father, are introductions in order?" She continued to scrutinize the diminutive creature.

The creature spoke again, holding up a small, four fingered hand. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves, rather than be introduced by another?" at a nod from Kate's father, he continued. "I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet."

Another creature stepped forward. He was much taller than Thor, about average height for a humanoid, and, draped with multi-colored garments with wild and frizzy hair to match, would have looked adorable if it weren't for the wisdom you could see in his eyes. "I am Anteaus, of the Nox," He said, bowing ever so slightly.

Yet another creature came forward. This one was somewhere between the Asgard and the Nox in height. He was a little thin, and his skin was covered in a light coat of white fur. His eyes were wide and blue, giving his face the appearance of pure innocence, while the fangs took away that image in the next instant. "And I am Torenth, of the the Furlings." He said in a voice that was a little to high-pitched for comfort.

Kate acknowledged them all with dignity. "And I am Master Katalina Aurora of the Ancient's order of the Sheni. I'm very pleased to finally meet all of you. My Father has spoken of you, but a meeting of the Great Council hasn't occurred in two thousand years." She cocked a curious eyebrow. "Has our predicament validated this much concern?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Thor said. "The enemies that have allied against you are old enemies of the Tau'ri."

Kate blinked in confusion at the unfamiliar term. "Tau'ri? Isn't that a Goa'uld word?"

"Yes," Replied the Asgard. "It is the term many use in their galaxy for the people of Earth."

"And who are these enemies? You already seem to know more than we do. All we know is that they are extremely powerful."

Thor nodded. "They are Goa'uld system lords, extremely well known for their cunning, intelligence, and strength."

* * *

Daniel was whistling as he rode the elevator to sub-level 28. He was in a good mood, having cleaned out his closet, painted his guest room, and bought a new refrigerator over the last week. Dr. Frasier had asked to see him after his leave was up, to see if he was ready to return to work, so he headed to the infirmary. Still whistling a somewhat happy, yet serious tune that Kate had taught him years ago, he walked into the domain of the SGC's Chief Medical Officer.

Frasier looked up from Sgt. Siler's left foot, which he had apparently broken, and smiled at Daniel. "Hi there, Daniel. Take a seat on the bed over there, and I'll be with you as soon as I'm done here." The archeologist did as he was told, and, after telling Siler to stay off of his foot for the next six weeks and giving him a cast, Dr. Frasier was ready to begin his checkup.

"How've you been feeling this last week?" She began the usual slew of mandatory questions: "How do you feel?" "Any pain recently?" "Have you been eating enough?" "Any more headaches?" etc.

Daniel winced as she placed the cold metal of the stethoscope on his back. "Geez," he breathed, "Do you keep that thing in a freezer, Janet?"

She smiled in the way all doctors do. "Of course. You know how I love to torture my patients while they're here." She said sarcastically.

A few minutes later, Daniel was slipping his black t-shirt back on while Dr. Frasier consulted a chart. "Well," She said, "You seem to be physically fine. Of course, you did before you slept have the week away, too." She shrugged. "I'll inform General Hammond that you're clear for duty, but do me a favor, and don't stress your body too much."

"I'll try," he replied, "But I'm on SG-1. We don't exactly get the easy missions."

Frasier's reply was interrupted by alarms. "Unauthorized off-world activation!" the warning sounded throughout the subterranean military base. "SG-1 to the control room."

"Sorry, Janet," Daniel shouted over his shoulder. He was already out of the infirmary, and into the corridor that would take him to the control room. Upon arriving, he noticed that the rest of SG-1 was there, along with frustrated General Hammond. "What's up?" He asked.

"The iris won't close!" Sgt. Davis was doing his best, but it simply wouldn't budge.

"Why?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be this frustrated, son!" Hammond growled.

Daniel glanced at the gate through the bulletproof glass and smirked as a figure came through. "I think we just got our answer, guys!"

Everyone looked through the windows, then. When they saw who was on the ramp, Hammond ordered the airmen in the 'Gate Room to lower their weapons, and SG-1 rushed down the stairs to greet the visitor.

"Thor, old buddy!" O'Neill exclaimed. "What brings you to our little corner of the universe?"

The Asgard looked grave. _Then again,_ thought Daniel, _he **always** does._ What Thor had to say, however, rendered everyone within earshot completely speechless.

"Apophis is alive. He has made an alliance with Anubis."

* * *

AN- Okay, give the little purple button some love! 


	9. Arrival

**AN-** Woo Hoo! I actually updated!!!!!! Thank you all you wonderful people who have been faithfully reading and reviewing, and thank you to my totally awesome beta, Rose of the Gate. You rock!!!!

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but Kate, Torenth, Galdrona, and the planet Chandomir, where I have my summer home. lol. Ahem...Anything recognizable is not mine, but the property of the powers that be. Please don't sue, because I have no money. I have a fish and a car, and you can't have them!

**AN2- **I have a friend who just wrote a totally awesome Star Wars story. It's called "The Unknown Life" and it's on my favorites list. Go read it!

Any reviews are appreciated, even flames.

* * *

Chapter Nine

Arrival

O'Neill nearly choked on the doughnut he had been eating. "Apophis _and_ Anubis?" He coughed.

Thor nodded. "I'm afraid so, colonel. They have forged an alliance against the Ancients. They believe that if they can defeat the Ancients, they can defeat you. I believe that one of the Ancients, the king's daughter, had tried to contact you, and inform you of their situation."

_So **that's **what was so important, Kate!_ Thought Daniel. _Why didn't you just **say** it? This can't be good._ He spoke up. "They did...sort of," He brushed off the fact that everyone within earshot had turned to stare at him, and continued. "Her name was Katalina - Kate, as I knew her - and she never got a chance to tell me what the situation was."

"Yes," Thor replied. "She was Master Katalina Aurora, of the Ancients Order of the Sheni. She told me about having to cut her contact efforts short."

As one, O'Neill, Hammond, Carter, and Teal'c gave Daniel a curious look. O'Neill spoke first. "Care to share with the rest of the class?" He asked.

_Oh, boy. Here we go._ Daniel braced himself, took a deep breath, and proceeded to explain everything; from the first dream, the Voice, finding Kate, the headache she had caused, all the way up to the present situation.

By the time he finished, about twenty minutes had passed and Hammond was practically fuming. "And you _never informed **anyone**_?" He demanded.

Daniel shrugged innocently. "I figured I might end up with a repeat of the 'Machello's Legacy' incident, and you all would think I was crazy." he said, recalling the little bugs that made him see things, like a Stargate event horizon in his closet, dead Goa'uld, or a symbiont coiled around O'Neill's arm while Daniel played cards with him. Those little things had nearly cost Teal'c his life, if he remembered correctly.

Carter was starting to get angry, too. "Is that why you asked me about Kate the other day? Why didn't you tell me she might have been alive?"

Daniel raised his hands, palm out, in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, look, I'm sorry, okay?" He took another deep breath. "And to answer your question, Sam, I wasn't all that sure it was real at the time."

Carter just crossed her arms and turned her face away, shaking her head.

Daniel was about to say something else to her, but as he opened his mouth, he heard a small noise. Turning back around, he realized that Thor had just cleared his throat for attention. "Pardon me for interrupting," He said, "But you must decide who will be coming with me to the planet of Chandomir."

"And what's on this...Cha...Char...Chando...whatever?" O'Neill asked.

"You have been requested to attend a meeting of the Great Alliance,"

Daniel's eyes went wide. "The Great Alliance? As in the Four Races?"

The diminutive alien nodded. "Yes. The Asgard, the Nox, the Furlings, and the Ancients."

Carter gave a low whistle. "Well, what are we waiting for, sir?"

Hammond nodded, "I'll deal with you later, Doctor Jackson. In the meantime, I want SG units one, three and seven geared up and ready to go within thirty minutes!" A chorus of 'Yes, sir's sounded as the aforementioned teams left the gate room.

* * *

Daniel was tying his boots in the locker room when Major Sheffield of SG-3 came up behind him and gave him a good-natured punch in the shoulder. "Hey, Jackson, how're you feeling?"

Daniel looked up at the Marine. "Fine, Brad, just fine." he sighed.

"You sure? You look kind of wiped,"

"Yeah, well..." Daniel was interrupted by O'Neill's commanding voice.

"Everyone geared up?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Good. Move out, people! Can't keep the little grey man waiting!"

Daniel hoisted himself off of the bench and fell line with the rest of SG-1. They were considerably quiet, and Daniel got the distinct feeling that they were giving him the cold shoulder. _Great,_ he thought, _now everyone's med at me, 'cause I didn't want to be labeled "crazy" for the millionth time in my life._ He looked around again. _Okay, maybe not **everyone**, but Sam, Jack, and General Hammond are._ His thoughts were interrupted by the very unfamiliar sight of Gen. Hammond in an offworld BDU. "You're coming with us?" He asked.

"If we're gonna be dealing with the four greatest races in the universe, you think I'm gonna let Colonel O'Neill handle the diplomacy?" Hammond replied.

More than a few people mumbled that it was a good point. O'Neill turned and glared at them. "Hey, c'mon, guys!" He said. "I'm not _that_ bad, am I?"

Carter spoke up. "Do you really want them to answer that, sir?"

O'Neill's face fell, and he sighed in defeat. "I guess not..." He was interrupted by the Stargate's event horizon swooshing into the room.

"Alright, everyone!" Hammond shouted, "Let's go!"

* * *

Daniel followed Thor, Hammond, O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c through the 'Gate, and paused for a moment on the other side, stunned by the sheer beauty of the room in which he had emerged. The room was about fifty feet wide, and twice that long, with large circular pillars made of some sort of translucent blue marble supporting the high ceiling. The blue marble gave off a slight glow, as did the floor, which was made of the same stone, but grey-purple in hue. Streaks of bright silver wove throughout the stone, reflecting the glow that permeated the chamber. A path, about seven feet wide and made of a jet-black stone, still with the silver streaks, carved a perfectly straight trail from the Stargate to two large, ornate silver doors on the far end of the room.

Daniel stiffed a gasp. He was standing in one of the rooms he and Kate had passed through after they had left the roof in his dream! _It's even more breathtaking in person._ He thought.

Hammond and the rest of the SG teams seemed to think so, too. "Wow," Sheffield said, looking at the pillars that lined the sides of the path, and the enormity of the room. "This is incredible!"

Thor turned to them. "We are currently in the lower levels of the Great Meeting Hall on Chandomir. The Hall itself is several stories above us. This is merely a reception room. Follow me, please."

Thor started down the stone path, and the others followed. When they reached the doors, Thor simply passed his hand over a tiny glowing panel inset in the door on the left, and they opened without a sound. He led them to a large turbolift, and keyed the floor they needed on a glowing multi-layered map that was projected holographically in the middle of the lift. "We will arrive at our destination in a few moments," He said. "There, you will be greeted by King Galdrona of the Ancients." The doors to the lift opened a few seconds later, and as they all piled out, the king strode up to them.

"Welcome, friends," He said. "As Commander Thor has probably said, I am King Galdrona."

Hammond returned the greeting, and introduced the rest of the envoy form Earth. The king acknowledged them all gracefully, regarding Daniel with a cordial, yet somehow cold, look.

The introductions soon over, Galdrona asked them to follow him to the Great Meeting Hall, where the others of the Great Alliance were waiting. The Great Hall was made of the same stone as the reception room, but the sheer magnificence of the Hall put the other room to shame. Tiers made of the jet-black stone from the path in the reception room lined the walls, arranged like an amphitheater, with a speaker's podium, made of the silvery substance, stood on the floor in the center of the chamber. The walls, floor, ceiling, as well as the seats and the desks in front of them, were all made out of glowing blue stone, eliminating the need for any other light. As they entered, the king slowed down just enough to walk beside Daniel. As the others filed into their respective seats in the grand chamber, Galdrona spoke into Daniel's ear. "I'll be watching you closely, young man," He said, a slight hiss in his voice. "You'd better hope my daughter's faith in you is well founded, or I will throw you out of here faster than you can blink."

Daniel cringed mentally, but experience kept him from showing his anxiety. "Believe me, sir," He said, willing his voice to be calm and steady. "I have every intention of living up to who I am, and nothing less."

"Good answer," the king replied. "I expect this will be an interesting meeting." Then, with a still-cold look directed at Daniel, Galdrona took his place at one of the four seats standing closest to the speaker's podium.

* * *

**AN-** Please review!!!!!!!!! 


	10. Alliances

**AN-** Woohoo! I posted again! I'm on a busy schedule with school and the concert season for my band coming up soon. Not to mention my entire family being sick, and the fact that I'm working on two other stories on ff.n, and another two that I hope to have posted soon. Ugh. I hate the Flu. Anyway, here's Chapter ten of The Ties that Bind. Enjoy!

**Awsome shout-out to RoseoftheGate, my Beta Reader.**

**Quick-Demon- **Thank you for reading faithfully and reviewing. It keeps me inspired. BTW, I'm just going to say; **If anyone wants to read a good humor fic, Quick-Demon's fic "Presto Changeo" is an awsome read!** I beta the fic and I have to read the chapters three times in order to stop laughing long enough to correct any mistakes.

**iamari-** I'm a big fan of your fics, and I just wanted to say thanks for reading mine!

and if anyone likes Star Wars fics, my friend, misunderstood15, has an awsome story called "The Unknown Life" and no one has read or reviewed it. I highly reccomend this fic. It's on my favorite story list if you want to read it.

**Disclaimer-** Does it _look_ like I'm making money from this? No. Don't sue, 'cuz I only have a clarinet, a flute, and a stuffed tiger, and you can't have them! Ok, enough of my blabbing. ON WITH THE SHOW!

Chapter Ten

Alliances

Daniel listened raptly to all that was going on in the Great Meeting Hall, despite his slowly growing boredom. Hammond was discussing Earth's history considering Apophis and Anubis. He felt an involuntary shiver go down his spine. _Two creatures I had **desperately **never wanted to see again. I wonder what possessed them to forge an alliance._ When Hammond finished speaking, Anteaus rose from his seat and, clearing his throat, said, "Now that everyone has been brought up to date on Earth's history, we should adjourn for some refreshment before we continue. I, for one, desperately need to stretch my legs a little."

A chorus of "Agreed," followed this statement, and people began to shift in their seats. From the opposite side of the chamber, Kate spoke. "I could conduct a quick tour of the surrounding city of Kelpa if anyone would like to join me," She said. All the members of SG-1 accepted the offer, as did Maj. Sheffield and Anteaus. As they gathered by the door, Galdrona's voice echoed through the chamber. "Be back here in thirty minutes, everyone," he said. "That's the longest we can take." Everyone present acknowledged the order, and filed out of the room.

They all headed back to the turbolift that had taken them to the main chamber of the Great Hall. She selected a small symbol on the map projection, and it expanded to show not only the main floors of the Hall, but the lower maintenance and garage levels as well. She touched one of these with her finger, and the 'lift began its descent.

"So..." O'Neill said slowly, bouncing slightly on his toes. "Where're we goin'?"

Kate turned toward the windows at the back of the lift and pointed to a tall, multi-tiered structure made of a drab grey metal. Although its height was formidable, they could still see the top of the roof from their vantage point. Daniel recognized it as the building in his dream. He would remember _that_ rooftop anywhere.

"That's the Denico Corporation building." Kate said. "We're going there first, because the rooftop has the best view of the Bondar Plains to the west. From there, you'll be able to see up to a hundred and fifty miles away, beyond the edge of the shield that protects the city. That's where Apophis and Anubis are concentrating their forces at the moment."

"A shield that protects the whole city?" Carter asked. "Wow, how do you manage that? The city is huge."

"We use a power source that I believe you call a Zero Point Module. There are four of them in the basement of the Royal Mansion, halfway between the edge of the city and the center. They power an area, including the shield, of about one thousand square miles."

"_Four_ ZPM's?" Carter's eyes grew wide.

"Is...that a lot?" O'Neill asked.

"What's a ZPM?" This from Sheffield.

It took Carter a good thirty seconds to find her voice before she could explain. "It's an enormous power supply that was employed by the Ancients...and apparently is _still _employed by them. Just one ZPM could power the east coast of the United States for a hundred years...even if the ZPM was only running at half power."

O'Neill gave a low whistle. "And you guys need _four?_" He asked Kate.

"Only two power the city itself." She clarified. "Of the other two, one is used solely for the shield, and isn't activated until the city is in danger, and the other is used as a backup. We can direct the power from that one to wherever we need it, be it the shield, a laboratory, or a concert hall."

Having nothing else to say, O'Neill just responded with, "Cool,"

The 'lift stopped, and Kate led them to a hovercar garage. From there, they headed to the Denico building.

* * *

"This is an amazing view," Carter breathed. They were now standing on the roof of Denico Corp's building, looking out at the blue grasses of the Bondar Plains. 

"Indeed," said Teal'c, who was standing very close to the edge. "What was the purpose of bringing us to this rooftop?" He asked.

Kate was staring intently at the plains. "You'll see in a minute, just watch."

Daniel, who was standing next to her, peered into the distance, straining to see the gliders in the air, strafing the ground. "I don't see-" His words were cut off, as a huge..._something_...fell out of the sky. It looked like a gigantic version of a blast from a staff weapon. It struck the ground, blowing dirt, debris, and bodies into the air. Kate sucked in a sudden breath, wincing noticeably and holding a hand to her temple. _What was that?_ Daniel thought. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked, only loud enough for her alone to hear.

"I'll be fine," She said. Daniel just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I should be used to it by now," she went on, "But every time that happens, I can feel the pain of those who were killed. Any Sheni warrior within two light-years could, too."

"Huh?"

"Sheni warriors have a..." She paused, searching for the right word. "_Sense_ of living beings. We can sense feelings, emotions, and occasionally, thoughts. With other warrriors, we can communicate telepathically, but only if the other person is willing. So when that weapon kills so many, I feel the surge of fear, and instant of searing pain, and then a void, where there once was a hundred lives."

Now it was Daniel's turn to wince. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She sighed and shook herself a little. "No. I must deal with it on my own."

Daniel didn't like that idea, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it right now. He turned his attention back to the plains, where a column of black smoke stood out against the sky.

"Why is the area still smoldering?" Anteaus asked, speaking for the first time since they arrived on the roof.

Kate shrugged. "We don't know. It's a new weapon that we've never seen before. Anubis has a mothership in orbit, and these blasts are coming from an odd structure on the bottom of the vessel. Whatever it is, it's extremely accurate; they concentrate on areas that are heavily populated with our own people. Virtually no Goa'uld lives are lost, and many Melidians are."

Daniel gave her a puzzled look. "Melidians?"

"One of only a few kingdoms that remain of the Ancients." Kate clarified. "There are only three kingdoms, out of hundreds, left in the known universe; there's Melidia, our own, which spans half the populated planets of this galaxy; Onvar, which only has a population of a couple million; and Beriku, which is the smallest. They have a couple hundred thousand, population-wise."

"Are the Goa'uld attacking them, too?" O'Neill asked.

"Not at the moment. We think they're trying to get rid of the largest threat first, -that's us- and then they'll move on to the smaller kingdoms. We have the most manpower, and the largest military. Onvar has most of the technology research, and Beriku is a pacifist kingdom to a fault."

"I see," O'Neill glanced at his watch. "Shouldn't we head back to the Great Hall now?"

"Yes. Let's go." Kate stole one more, sad look at the smoky horizon, then headed down the stairs to the hovercar hangar.

* * *

"Welcome back, everyone." Galdrona said, standing behind the speakers podium. "We will now decide on a course of action to be taken against the Goa'uld. Melidian forces are being butchered by this new weapon, while gliders battle our own starfighters in orbit above Vedra, Xersia, and our own Chandomir. We need all the help we can get. That's why the envoy from Earth is here. General Hammond and his commanders have offered their help in knowledge, manpower, and whatever else they can spare." Galdrona nodded at an aged woman, and a man that looked a little older than Kate. They came forward to stand at his side and he introduced them. "These are Queen Delana of the Onvar, and Prince Galqi of the Beriku." The two nodded in acknowledgement of the two dozen people gathered before them. Galdrona continued. "Queen Delana has just arrived from the planet Tervos, and seeks to offer her assistance wherever it is needed in our research. Prince Galqi has likewise just arrived from the planet Berik, and is here in place of his father, King Haldros, whose is not healthy enough for space or 'gate travel." As the two monarchs sat at their respective places, Galdrona pressed a button on the surface of the podium, causing a holographic projection to appear in the center of the room. "This," He said, "Is an up-to-the-second readout of the battles going on around Vedra, Xersia, and Chandomir." Three planets materialized, roughly the same size. Galdrona pressed another button, and one of the planets grew to encompass the entire empty space between the podium and the first row of seats. "This is the current situation on Vedra. The areas you see in blue are areas that are not affected by the attacks, and are still undamaged. The yellow areas are where battles are currently being fought, and the areas in red are the regions that have been destroyed, or fallen into enemy hands." 

Daniel blinked and rubbed his eyes. Almost a fourth of Vedra's land mass was reading as red, most of the rest was blue, and a thin, undulating line of yellow squished between them. _This isn't good. If Apophis and Anubis can do this to the Ancients..._an involuntary shiver ran down his spine, and a quick look at his colleagues showed that they were just as shocked. He watched as Galdrona pulled up images of Xersia, which had less red areas, but the yellow ones were much bigger. Then he pulled up the display of Chandomir. Most of the planet's land mass was blue, but hundreds of square miles at a time were turning yellow, then –a little more slowly- red. The city of Kelpa itself was a tiny blue spot in a sea of red, bordered by a thin, wavering line of yellow.

"As you can see," Said Galdrona, "Chandomir is taking the bulk of the attacks. This new superweapon that Anubis has is impossible for us to counteract. The only thing keeping Kelpa from being incinerated is the shield, which can only hold out for so long. With use of the Goa'uld ships that Earth is in possession of, we may be able to sneak a small contingent of soldiers onto the main craft in an attempt to find a weakness." He took a breath and looked General Hammond in the eye. "You said, general, that your leaders would need sufficient reason to help us before they could commit to our aid. Is this enough?"

Hammond stood. "Yes, King Galdrona, I most certainly think it is. What can we do to help?"

* * *

**AN- Okay, people. Review! I might just run out of inspiration if you don't give the little button some love!**


	11. Treason

**AN- **Hey everyone! I actually updated! Sorry about the wait, but I was grounded from the computer for a few weeks. grrr...anyway, here's the next chapter, with two new characters for your reading pleasure. **_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

**Thank you Rose of the Gate, for being my Beta!**

**Disclaimer-** Must we continue this futile tradition? sighs dramatically Alas, I have no ownership of Stargate SG-1 or any of its characters, situations, etc. I do, however, own Kate, Torenth, Delana, Galqi, Galdrona, and any other characters that have never appeared in the show. Oh, and I have a bettafish, but you can't have Chipo!

**Chapter Eleven**

**Treason**

"General Hammond," Queen Delana's voice rang clear in the Great Hall. "I believe what would be best at this moment is for you to leave whomever has the most front-line experience in combat with Apophis and Anubis here, on Chandomir." As an afterthought, she glanced over at Galdrona. "If that is alright with you?"

Galdrona nodded. "Queen Delana is right. If it is possible, you should leave whatever eight members of your base you wish here. Preferably yourself and seven others that are the most capable. I'm afraid that's all we have room for; evacuees are coming in from surrounding cities that don't have shields, and Kelpa will soon be packed."

"Understood," Hammond turned to his own people. "SG-1, Major Sheffield and Colonel Hendrick will stay here." He turned to the two remaining members of SG-3, and SG-7. "I want you to go back to Earth to retrieve Dr. Frasier from her post, and I don't care _how_ much she wants to stay in the infirmary. She's needed here. Understood?" They snapped to attention and gave a crisp salute, before an aide arrived to escort them from the room.

"And who all is on SG-1?" Galdrona asked, his gaze sweeping over the group of people gathering notes, firearms, and whatever else they carried on them.

Hammond gestured over to where Daniel, Carter, O'Neill, and Teal'c were gathering their own belongings. "Colonel Jack O'Neill is the commander, Major Carter is his second-in-command and head scientist, Dr. Daniel Jackson is our linguist and liaison for new cultures, and Teal'c is a free Jaffa."

Galdrona looked them over again, and nodded his approval, although the look he gave Daniel was still icy. "Very well. If you will follow Nela, my aide, she will show you your guest quarters at the Royal Mansion."

* * *

The small, white figure stole through the dark streets of the Chandomir twilight. Making its way through the crowded avenues and market places crowded with refugees, it never stopped or paused in its graceful, quick step. It took a sudden turn down an ally and knocked twice on a steel door. A small hole, made for beings with substantially more height, opened and two dark eyes peered out.

"I've come with information." said the small figure in the ally. All they got in return was a grunt, and the door swung open.

"Well, well, well," A smooth voice came from the shadows inside. "Come in, Selskani. What brings you to my doorstep?"

"Like I said; information." Selskani strode into the chamber, not a hint of fear in her carriage.

"About?" The voice prompted.

Selskani gave a feral grin. "How much are you willing to pay?"

"That depends on what use it is to our employers, Selskani," The voice said flatly. "I'll see if it's worth anything to them. Tell me what you know." The voice lowered just enough to hint a threat.

Selskani tensed, but only slightly. "A reliable source tells me that the Tau'ri have gotten involved in the war. Taking the side of the Melidians, of course," She gave a derisive sniff. "They just don't know when to quit, do they?"

The voice from the shadows gave a low chuckle. "No, they don't." The speaker paused, as if thinking, then said, "Perhaps our employer will be able to use this information to their advantage. Hitting the proverbial two birds with one stone, perhaps." A small bag was tossed out of the shadows, landing with a metallic _clink _on the floor in front of Selskani. "Four thousand dalmarks for your efforts, my friend. That should be enough encouragement for your return, shouldn't it? You know where to find me when you find something else."

Selskani picked up the bag, hefted the weight a little, and strolled out into the night.

* * *

The rooms Nela had led them to were nice, to say the least. Daniel flopped onto his bed and draped an arm across his eyes, sighing from weariness. _What a day, _he thought, rolling over onto his stomach. _I've never seen _anything_ like this new super-weapon, even in the most technologically advanced, or the most hostile planets we've been to._ A knock on the door caused him to roll back over and sit up. "Come in!" he called. The door slid back into the wall, and a familiar woman walked in. "Kate," he said. "Hey. To what do I owe the honor of a visit from the princess?"

Kate sat on the edge of the bed, eyes downcast. "I want to apologize," She said.

Daniel blinked once, then twice. Finally, he asked, "For what?"

She stood up and went to the windows on the far side of the room. Pulling back the curtains, she watched the mid-air traffic go by for a few moments before answering. "I should have said what I needed to say right from the beginning. I shouldn't have wasted time talking. I should have simply told you who I was, and why I needed your help. Now your team is mad at you, your commanding officer is mad at you, you've basically been made an outcast from your friends, and it's my fault. I'm sorry."

Daniel stood up and walked over to where she was standing. "You're kidding, right? _This _is what has you all worked up?" He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't have believed you if you had done that. I've had too much experience with mind control, manipulation, and the like to be convinced of something like that." He turned her to face him. "Trust me," he said, "You did what was best. Besides," He added, "I'm used to them getting mad at me like this. They'll be fine in a couple days, maybe in a few hours."

She leaned back a little and regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Wow," She said, "You've gotten quite wise in your old age." She couldn't keep a straight face for long after saying that, and she broke into a wide grin. "Still," She said, sobering again, "It's going to be difficult. I'm not sure we can even beat Apophis and Anubis. This new super-weapon..." Her words trailed off. She turned toward the door. "I'll see you later, Daniel."

Before Daniel could utter another word, she was gone. He flopped back onto the bed, put his arm in its previous position over eyes, and heaved a sigh. He was tired, but now his mind was racing, thinking of possible ways the Goa'uld could have gotten a hold on this new super-weapon and about Kate. Why was she so timid all of a sudden? Deciding his mind wouldn't be slowing down anytime soon, he got up and went to the windows again. From his room in the expansive mansion, he could see the building for Denico Corps., many of the moons in the night sky, and the slight green electrical flashes that accompanied strikes to the shield protecting Kelpa. He fastened the curtains back so that he could look out the windows without holding the heavy materiel, and sat on a plush chair that was surprisingly comfortable. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. _This is going to be a hard fight to win, _he thought. _I just hope enough of these people –and ours- survive it to celebrate._

_

* * *

**OK, PEOPLE! REVIEW! I NEED FEEDBACK!**_


	12. Preperations

**_AN--->_** Wow! Two updates in one month! My muse was kind to me this month. New Mexico can't seem to make up it's mind about the weather patterns, so you can litteraly stand in the blinding sun while it's raining. Bizzare, I know, but I love it here and wouldn't give it up for anything short of an all-expences-paid trip to Hawaii. Or Egypt; I'd love to see the pyramids. Anyway, on with the show.

PLEASE REVIEW! I'M ONLY GETTING TWO OR THREE PER CHAPTER, AND IT'S DOWNRIGHT FRUSTRATING! IT ONLY TAKES A FEW SECONDS, PEOPLE!

DISCLAIMER- In a perfect world, I would own Stargate, Jack and Sam would be married with two kids by now, and Shau're would never have died. Therefore, by using common sense, you can see that I own nothing recognizeable. I do own anything original, so please ask me if you want to use them. Thank you.

**Thank you Rose of the Gate, my incredible beta, who took the time to help me look up a couple terms. You rock, girl!**

Chapter Twelve

Preparations

Daniel awoke to the sound of a chime. He opened his eyes, and was momentarily confused as to where he was. He felt the soft cushion beneath him and the breeze from the open window; he heard the soft murmur of someone outside the door, the traffic outside the window..._Wait. Traffic?_ He sat up. Slowly, he recalled where he was, why he was here, and realized that someone was requesting to be admitted into his room. "Come in!" He called to the door.

The door receded into the wall, and Teal'c stepped through. He waited until Daniel put his glasses on before he spoke. "Daniel Jackson," He said. "The others are awaiting your arrival for the morning meal."

Daniel blinked. "Morning meal?" he asked. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Approximately ten hours."

"Oh," Daniel got out of bed. "I'll be out in a minute Teal'c. I should get dressed in something other than a wrinkled BDU."

"Indeed. I shall wait outside."

"Thanks. I'll just be a second,"

Daniel walked over to his bag and pulled out a pair of khaki pants and a black t-shirt; his typical off-world wardrobe. He emerged from the bedroom dressed, combed, and shaved. Teal'c then led the way to a large room, exquisitely decorated in white marble and silver. Everyone from Earth was sitting at a large table in the center of the room, along with Galdrona, Delana, Kate, and Galqi. Apparently Anteaus, Torenth, and Thor wouldn't be joining them. Daniel apologized for over-sleeping and sat on Kate's left, at one of the two empty places that were set. Teal'c sat to Daniel's left.

He sniffed the air around him and gave a faint smile. The plates that sat in front of them were heaped with something that looked like steaming fruit salad and a side of some sort of meat. If the smells were any indication, breakfast was going to be delicious.

The meal passed in relative silence, other than the conversation between General Hammond and Dr. Frasier, who was being brought up to speed after arriving late last night. The others sitting at the table chimed in every once in a while, but most ate quietly. Frasier finally got around to asking about the super-weapon, and what they were going to do about it.

"Actually," Daniel said, "I've been wondering about that, myself. Does anyone know of a weakness of any kind?" This only drew a glare from Galqi.

"If they _did_ know," he said icily, "Don't you think they would have put that knowledge to good use, Dr. Jackson?"

"I was only asking, Prince Galqi." Daniel replied, just as coolly. He wasn't one to be intimidated by royalty. He'd met too many in his time at the SGC. "If there's even a _slight_ weakness that you know of, we may be able to use our own information to make a feasible plan."

Galqi opened his mouth to reply, when Galdrona cut him off. "Please," He said, "Galqi, you know the very reason we brought them here was for their knowledge and combat experience. Your father would not have pounced on a question like that. Perhaps I should have invited him via a holovid."

Galqi, too experienced to look sullen, gave a curt nod of apology, and resumed eating. Kate glanced back and forth between them, and shook her head slightly. "We will be meeting in the Great Hall again after the noon meal to discuss possible strategies," She said. "Until then, we would all appreciate it," She looked pointedly at Galqi. "If you would all gather any ideas that may come to mind with the little information we _do_ have." The others murmured their agreement.

A little more talking had gone around the table about how to get around the mansion, what areas were off-limits and what things might be interesting for them see, when Kate offered to show them the hall of records. "It's the biggest library in the Melidian kingdom," She said. "You might be able to find something useful in the history files."

Daniel's face lit up at the mention of a library and history files. _If nothing else, I could at least find the relationship between the Ancient kingdoms and know how do deal with them._ He took up Kate's offer.

* * *

"I've never seen anything like this," Daniel breathed. "Even the Library of Congress isn't this big." 

Kate flashed a smile. "I know. I live here and I still get overwhelmed whenever I walk into this room."

Daniel started walking through the shelves, running his fingers along the spines of thousand-year-old leather-bound books, and the softly glowing–and more recently made–data pads that held the equivalent of thousands of pages each. "How are these books so well preserved?" He asked.

Kate, who had been looking out the enormous east-facing window that took up that whole wall, joined him at the shelf. "We've been using a system for thousands of years that preserves them. As long as you put them back on a shelf when you're done with them."

Daniel raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Pull one of them off a shelf."

Daniel did so. His hand got a slight buzz about half an inch before he touched the book, and a faint green glow surrounded his hand. "What is it?"

"It's called a glowfield. It's a field made by tiny emitters on the inside of the shelves. Pretty much anything can pass through, but it purifies foreign objects when it's penetrated. The air inside the shelf is perfectly balanced to preserve the books and the glowfield purifies your hand as it passes through, so as not to contaminate the air."

"Fascinating. You know, the libraries on Earth would give anything to have something like this."

Kate gave him a longing smile. "True, but then you don't have that 'old paper' smell, and the classics don't really look like classics. You don't know how often I've wanted to stroll through a library on Earth again, just for the sensation."

Daniel's reply was cut short when Nela, Galdrona's aide, stepped in and informed them that SG-1 was looking for Daniel. With one last longing look at the massive library, Daniel nodded and followed her through the door.

* * *

"You're sure about this?" Hammond was asking as Daniel walked in. The question was apparently directed at O'Neill. "If this doesn't work, you know what could happen." 

"What could happen if what doesn't work?" Daniel asked. He sat down in a chair opposite Teal'c in the "living room" between their rooms.

"Colonel O'Neill has suggested that we take one of the Goa'uld ships we have in our possession and basically ram it down Anubis' throat."

O'Neill straightened. "Well, sort of. My plan consisted of a few more details: like a strike team, overloaded naquadah generator, rabid mutant monkeys, or something like that."

Daniel didn't even react to the last of O'Neill's suggestions. _Although, _he thought, _rabid mutant monkeys on a Goa'uld ship **would** be very entertaining._ Aloud, he said, "You mean get a generator, throw it on a ship, and give it a push toward the weapon?" He thought it over for a few seconds. "That might work, although it seems a touch conventional."

"Conventional?" Carter asked.

"Well, yeah." Daniel said. "Usually, it's something along the lines of 'let's strap a 'Gate to the bottom of the X-302' or 'how about we blow up a sun?'"

The others in the room finally caught onto the fact that he was joking and laughed.

"Actually," Carter spoke up again, "I think this might actually work. If we use a Tel'tak and set a naquadah generator to overload as it nears the weapon, we might be able to annoy Anubis, if nothing else."

"Annoying Anubis probably isn't wise, you know," Daniel said. His hesitation was evident in his voice.

"What other choice do we have, Daniel?" O'Neill asked. Daniel couldn't answer that, so he continued. "We need to make a strike, and soon, or once Anubis is done with these folks, he's gonna come after us."

Daniel nodded. It made sense, really; if Anubis somehow found out that the Ancients still had contact with Earth, he would wipe out the bigger threat first. "Well," He said aloud, "It's not the most creative or fool-proof plan, but it's better than nothing."

Hammond nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

"You have done well, my servant," The dark, gravelly voice of Kovash's master was intimidating, even through a Goa'uld long range communicator. Kovash, the only one Anubis trusted to blend into the city of Kelpa, was giving his master the information that Selskani had provided. 

"Thank you, my lord." Kovash kept his head respectfully bowed. To do any differently would have him beheaded upon his return. "My source says that the Tau'ri are here to lend their combat intelligence, but nothing more. Personally, I wouldn't take that to heart."

Anubis raised a curious eyebrow. "You doubt your source?"

"Not her intentions or information, but she tends to underestimate her enemy. It is she, not anyone else, who said that the Tau'ri would only provide intelligence. She may be mistaken."

"I will consider this. The Tau'ri have been a plague to me for too long. They will endure a long and painfull death."

The communication globe winked out, obscuring the wide smile cemented on Kovash's lips.

* * *

REVIEW, PEOPLE! THEY KEEP MY MUSE HAPPY! 


	13. Engagement

AN- Okay, people, I have updated! Sorry it took so long, but I could've built a castle with all of the writer's blocks I had. Thankfully, my mom bought a book called "The writer's block" and it's chock full of suggestions to jump-start the imagination. I love you, mom!

Awsome shout out to Rose of the Gate, my beta reader. You rock, girl!

Disclaimer- I don't own Stargate SG-1. I do own all new characters, a toothpick, a pocket knife, and a clarinet, but you can't have them! So there!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Engagement

Daniel saw his breath crystallize and float for a while before it disappeared. He was jogging a wide circuit on the mansion grounds on a gravel trail. His feet crunched on the pavement as he picked up speed, weaving between tall trees and wildflowers as he followed the trail. His morning jog usually took place through the halls of the SGC or around his apartment block. When he was off-world, however, he found it a relaxing way to get the lay of the land. One more pass by the enormous fountain in the courtyard, and he would have gone about a mile and a half, by his closest estimation. He started toward the entrance to the mansion, still jogging.

He was just passing a small stone statue of some Ancient hero when he heard something. He stopped, listening for it. It sounded like a sob. He wandered off the path and looked around. There, behind a towering hedge, sitting on a bench, was Kate. She had her head in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking. Daniel, realizing that she was crying, came up to her. "Kate?" She looked up, startled, and made an unsuccessful attempt to hide her tear-streaked face. "Kate, what's wrong?"

She stood up abruptly. "Nothing," she said, a little too quickly. "I'm fine."

Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets. "Really," he said, not in the least convinced. "Come on, Kate, you can tell me. You know I'll listen." He came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into his shoulder for a moment and sighed deeply.

"Just...give me some time, Daniel. I don't want to talk right now..."

Daniel frowned. "Are you sure?" He rested his chin in her hair as she nodded. "Okay, but you know where to find me if you want to talk, right?" Another nod in response. "Do you want me to stay?"

This time, she shook her head. "No," Kate said, "I need some space to think..."

"Okay," Daniel dropped a light kiss on the top of her head, released her from his arms, and walked back to the mansion.

Kate sat back down on the bench, staring off into the trees. Soon, she resumed her silent sobs.

* * *

"I don't like this at all," Galqi was pacing back and forth in his chambers in front of a live-feed hologram of his father, King Haldros. "How can we even trust them?"

Haldros lifted a patient eyebrow. "Is it the SGC that you don't trust, or Daniel Jackson?" He asked.

Galqi stopped pacing for a moment to think before answering. "Jackson. I don't like him, and I don't trust him."

His father nodded wisely. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy, my son?"

"No!" he turned on his heel to face the hologram again. "Why should I be? Katalina is no longer within his reach. Our union will bring stability to the alliance between Beriku and Melidians, and there is nothing Jackson can do about it. Kate will be mine."

Haldros frowned. "Beware of getting too possessive, son," he said. "Katalina will not appreciate it."

"Why does that matter?"

"It matters a great deal: when I'm gone, you will be too distracted by your marital strife to make quick decisions."

Galqi thought this over then nodded his agreement. "True," he said. "Very well, I'll try to take the possessiveness down a notch, but I still don't like how close she is to that archeologist!"

"Have you settled the engagement with—" Haldros broke into a sudden fit of coughing. He sat there, hacking for almost a minute before he could breathe normally again. "Ahem, have you settled the engagement with King Galdrona?" he asked, his voice husky from the effort.

"Yes," came the reply. Galqi cast a concerned look toward his father. "How are you doing?"

The older Ancient was leaning against the arm of his chair. He looked up. "The healers are saying that I might not last the month if this hacking doesn't subside," He said wearily.

"Do they know what has caused this?"

Haldros nodded. "Vespan Syndrome,"

Galqi's eyes widened. "But you're so young!" he exclaimed. "You're only eleven hundred years old! Vespan Syndrome usually sets in at around seventeen hundred years!"

"I know that, and you know that, and even the _healers_ know that. But that's the only acceptable reason."

The prince hung his head. "Only the month, you said?"

Instead of answering, the king only nodded.

"I see,"

Haldros waved it off. "Don't worry about me, son. Worry about the Goa'uld threat, and enjoy your engagement to Katalina Aurora."

Galqi bowed at the waist. "Yes, father."

The hologram winked out.

* * *

Daniel stood, arm crossed, jaw set, at the smoke plumes on the horizon. He was standing on the roof of Denico Corp. again, watching with interest and sadness each time he saw another fireball fall from the sky. _How can we even hope to destroy something like this?_ He thought. _We've gone up against tough situations before, but this? This is ridiculous._ He turned around, catching a glimpse of white out of the corner of his eye. What was that? He turned again, and saw Kate making her way toward him. _Maybe she's ready to talk..._

"Daniel, I need to talk to you," She said as she neared him.

He nodded. "Sure,"

She sat down on the lip surrounding the edge of the roof. When Daniel sat down beside her, she said, "I owe you an explanation for...the condition you found me in earlier today."

"Go on," he prompted gently.

"My father," She said, trying again to keep from crying, "Has gone behind my back and against my will to arrange my marriage to Prince Galqi."

"What!" Daniel shot to his feet. "Why?"

Kate just shook her head. "I don't know, Daniel. I wish I did."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Can you do anything about it?"

She just shook her head again. "No," She put her face in her hands, trying to control her sobs. Seeing this, Daniel sat beside her again and put an arm across her shoulders.

"Shh..." he whispered. He stood up again when she calmed down.

"Kate," he said.

She looked up at him.

This was going to be difficult to say. _Here goes nothing._ "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. Otherwise..." he took a deep breath. "Otherwise, we shouldn't see each other too much."

Kate leapt to her feet. "What? Why?"

Daniel took a step toward her and slipped his hand in hers. "Because, you're engaged to another man, Kate. I wish with all my heart I could change that, but for now it's only right." he took a deep breath and embraced her. "I love you, Kate, but this is for the best." He leaned back to see her face.

She nodded. "I guess you're right. I love you too, Daniel." She turned her back to him, tears falling down her face. "I'll miss you."

Before Daniel could even register that she was moving, she was gone. He turned toward the sunset, tears teasing his own eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

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**_REVIEW, PEOPLE!_**


	14. A Friendship Forged

**Author's Rant: **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far; you make my day brighter! Ok, on to business: I've gotten some feedback that says it's getting hard to keep all the original characters straight, so I'll be posting a list of my OC's every other chapter from now on.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing that you might possibly recognize from the TV show Stargate: SG-1. If any of my characters resemble any real people, it's probably because I'm basing their personalities on people that I know. Most of the people I know are very strange and bizzare, and should be flattered that I'm using them as a guide. If any known, unoriginal characters appear bruised, terrorized, shishkabobed, or otherwise abused, blame it on my fish.

**To Roseofthegate (my beta), YOU ROCK!

* * *

**

**DRAMATIS PERSONAE OF ORIGINAL CHARACTERS:**

**Katalina Aroura (or O'Hara): **Princess of an Ancient kindom (Melidia), who lived much of her life on Earth. Sole heir to the Melidian throne.Was engaged to be married to Daniel Jackson, but was "killed" a week before the wedding in a car wreck in Egypt. Is now engaged to Prince Galqi of the Beriku kingdom against her will. Is a Sheni Master, and a commander in the Melidian military.

**Galdrona:** Kate's father. King of the Melidian kingdom. Severely dislikes Daniel, and will do anything to prevent him from getting close to his daughter again.

**Galqi: **Prince of the Beriku kingdom. Sent to Chandomir in his father's place. Engaged to Kate and is looking forward to the wedding. Sole heir to the Beriku throne. Doesn't trust Daniel as far as he can throw him.

**Haldros: **Galqi's father, king of the Beriku kingdom of the Ancients. Has a rare disease of the Ancients, called Vespan Syndrome, that usually takes the life of an Ancient far before their time. Cannot risk 'Gate travel or space travel, as these aggravate his condition. Sent his son to Chandomir in his place.

**Delana:** Queen of the Onvar kingdom. Has one child, a daughter, of only four years old. No other children.

**Anteaus: **Nox representative of the Four Races.

**Torenth: **Furling representative of the Four Races.

**Colonel Ames Hendrick: **Commanding officer of SG-3. Marine.

**Major Bradly Sheffield: **2nd in command of SG-3. Good friend of Daniel's, as they share the same love of all things archeological. Marine.

**Keenil Vung: **Sheni warrior and Commander in the Melidian military.

**Selskani: **Unknown species. Personal aide to Prince Galqi.

**Kovash:** First Prime of Anubis. Posing as a merchant in the city of Kelpa.

Ok, I'm pretty sure that's everyone. Let me know if I missed one, or if you have a question.

Ok, enough rambling. On with the show!

* * *

**_Chapter Fourteen_**

**_A Friendship Forged_**

Daniel walked slowly through the halls, breathing the fresh air of late morning on Chandomir. He didn't have a particular destination, but he simply needed to move around, get a change of scenery. He ran a hand through his hair again. It was becoming such a habit since he came here that his hair was almost constantly in a tangled mess. He stopped momentarily to look out a large window. The city of Kelpa was slowly turning into a messy, cramped and polluted space; refugees from outlying cities, towns, villages and farms lined the streets, finding a place to rest wherever they could. Doorways, steps, gutters—all were occupied by a member of some unfamiliar species, or by any Kelpan citizen who was kind enough to lend out their home while they slept on the porch themselves. Daniel sighed and leaned against the window, watched his breath fog the glass. He hadn't been in a state like this since Sha're—his wife from Abydos—had died so many years ago. He stared, unseeing, out the window. _How could this have happened?_ He asked himself. _Does Galdrona hate me so much?_

"Daniel?" The familiar voice of Janet Frasier pulled him from his thoughts.

"Mmm?" he replied.

"Are you okay? You look tired," she put a hand on his shoulder as she joined him at the window.

Daniel shook his head. No, he wasn't okay. The woman he loved was engaged to another man against her will. _How cliché, _he thought bitterly. But he didn't voice these thoughts to Dr. Frasier. "I'm just a little sleepy, Doc. It's nothing to worry about."

Frasier didn't look too convinced, but she knew Daniel well enough to drop the subject. "Hammond wants all available SGC personnel in the common room outside his bedroom in half an hour," she said. "If you can cheer yourself up in that space of time, he might appreciate it."

Daniel nodded, but didn't reply. With a heavy sigh, Janet left the room.

Hammond shook the hand of the quiet man who stood in front of him in the common room. He was tall and olive skinned with short black hair and a long, flowing grey tunic. At his belt hung the hilt of lightstaff ("The only weapon of a Sheni warrior besides his mind," he had said). "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.—?"

"Vung, sir. Keenil Vung. The princess, Katalina, sent me here." Vung bowed low. "I'll be assisting in the transportation of your Tel'tak."

Carter came up and shook Vung's hand, too. "If I may ask, why do we need a Sheni warrior to come with us?"

Vung smiled. "I will help to speed up the journey, Major Carter. The Ancients still have a few undiscovered secrets in that galaxy that we should be able to use."

Carter raised a curious eyebrow. "Will you be able to show us any of those during our trip?"

"Perhaps, but you would need the correct gene in order to operate much of the technology. I could leave you some instructions, however."

She smiled. "That would be great."

Vung smiled again. "So," he said, "When do we leave?"

"As soon as Dr. Jackson gets here so that we can let him know what's going on." O'Neill said from his position next to a translucent blue statue.

At that moment, they heard the now-familiar quiet _whoosh_ of the door sliding back into the wall. They all turned to face the door just as Daniel stepped through.

"Well, speak of the devil," O'Neill mumbled good-naturedly.

"Hi, everyone," Daniel said, joining them. "Sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?"

Hammond introduced him to Keenil Vung and explained that Vung was accompanying Carter and SG-3 to retrieve the Tel'tak from the Beta Site, their off-world base.

"Oh," Daniel said, shaking Vung's hand. "Well, it's pleasure to meet you..." he caught sight of the large silver ring on Vung's right middle finger. "Commander Vung." He finished.

The Sheni's eyebrows shot up. "You recognized my ring? Impressive."

Daniel shrugged. "I've been spending a lot of time in the Hall of Records," he explained. "I learned the chain of command."

Vung nodded. "Ah, that explains it,"

Daniel finally gave Vung the first sincere smile he had since learning of Kate's engagement. "You know, I think we'll get along fine, Commander."

The door opened again and SG-3 came in. They snapped a salute to Hammond, which he returned and asked, "Is SG-3 ready to go?"

"Yes, sir. Ready and waiting." Colonel Hendrick said.

"Good. Commander Vung will lead you to the 'Gate room. Be safe, and Godspeed."

Hendrick nodded once, and left with the others.

"We should be back late tonight," Vung called over his shoulder. "You have arrangements to meet us in the village of Dethpa."

_**Later that night:**_

Daniel watched with interest as the Tel'tak touched down on the landing pad in the small village of Dethpa. The Goa'uld cargo ship had been brought back by SG-3 and the single Sheni warrior who had gone with them. Dethpa was one of the few other places that was a safe haven on Chandomir because it had its own shield, and wasn't a large enough city to attract too much attention from the Goa'uld. He stretched his shoulders to get the kinks out of his muscles, and leaned over to speak to Galqi's aide, whom he had sent in his place.

The small, white, furry creature looked vaguely like an overgrown cross between a mouse and a cat: while she kept the cat-like facial structure and senses, she had the round ears, tail, and posture of a mouse except for the fact that she walked upright. Daniel had to restrain the urge to scratch her behind the ears.

"So," he said, "Tell me again how we got the Tel'tak here so quickly?"

"The Stargate you know of was not the only kind employed by the Ancients," she replied. "After the Plague had wiped out most of them, those who survived were weak and were easy prey for the Goa'uld."

Daniel nodded, recalling that, according to the information found in SG-1's explorations and in the Mansion's hall of records, almost all of the Ancients had been wiped out by a fatal, unknown disease that they were unable to treat. In order to survive, the remaining healthy Ancients had moved to another galaxy that was free of the Plague. "Go on," he prompted.

She gave him a vaguely annoyed look, then continued, "They needed a quick way to evacuate the remaining ships, so they devised a Gate much like yours, but this one was on a grand scale: you could fly two Goa'uld motherships side by side through the event horizon of the wormhole. They built only two. One was built here—actually, it orbits Xersia, another planet in the Melidian Kingdom—by a small team of scientists, and one in your galaxy, not far from your 'Beta Site', was built by the rest of the scientists. The _Gen'apurtus,_ or 'Galaxy Gate', was activated by the few remaining Sheni Warriors through their mental powers. The Gen'apurtus still remains in your galaxy, and that's how we got your Tel'tak here. The Galaxy Gate in your galaxy remains undisturbed by the Goa'uld because they don't know what it is."

Daniel crossed his arms, bracing himself against a gust of the chilly evening wind. "Ah, so _that's_ why a Sheni went back with SG-3 to get the Tel'tak. We needed him to activate the Gate." The crew was exiting the spacecraft now, and Keenil Vung was beckoning Daniel to join them. "Well, thanks for the history lesson, Selskani. I'll see you back in Kelpa." he said, and then he turned and left.

Selskani watched him go. "You're welcome, Dr. Jackson." She tuned to leave. "And with any luck," she muttered under her breath, "You won't _make_ it back to Kelpa."

* * *

**_REVIEW, PLEASE!_**


	15. Agendas Abound

AN- **WooHoo!**

_dodges thrown rotten fruits and vegetables_

Okay, okay! I know that it's been FOREVER since my last update on this fic, but I'm back to writing after a long hiatus. Please go to my profile if you want all the info. If there's one thing I hate, it's unneccicarily long author's notes.

**Thank you, roseofthegate, for being the best, most patient, and most incredible Beta I could ask for!**

**Disclaimer-** If I owned SG-1, Pete wouldn't have existed in the first place, Sha're would still be alive, we'd still have Rick Anderson in the new season, and I would have a better car. Please don't sue; I'm poor enough as it is...

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Chapter Fifteen

Agendas Abound

Keenil Vung watched Daniel walk toward them from the edge of the landing pad. "Dr. Jackson looks eager to get to work," he observed.

Colonel Hendrick slung his P-90 over his shoulder. "Yeah, he does. I can't say I blame him, he's been cooped up with alien monarchs for the last week."

Sheffield spoke up. "I thought that was in his job description?"

Hendrick glared at him. Sheffield wisely shut his mouth. His CO wasn't in a good mood after being cooped up in a small Tel'tak for hours.

Vung stepped out and greeted Daniel as the archeologist got closer to the ship. "Hello, Dr. Jackson. How was your visit to Dethpa, however brief it may have been?"

Daniel picked up the pace as they walked side by side toward the Tel'tak. "Uneventful, although I did get a good history lesson from Selskani."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she explained the Gen'apurtus to me along with some Ancient history."

"Did you learn anything of value?"

"Yes, from an academic standpoint. Not much of it would be very useful right now." Daniel felt a slight tickle at the base of his neck. He slapped it. _Stupid skitterflies, _he thought. The irritating little insects seemed to be everywhere on Chandomir. They were worse than mosquitoes, but without the itching bite.

"I'm sure the library would be more help at the moment." Vung replied. "Are you alright, Dr. Jackson? You look preoccupied."

"Huh?" Daniel said. He had let his mind wander already…onto Kate and her engagement. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"You look preoccupied." Vung repeated.

"Oh…it's nothing." He slapped at that irritating skitterfly again. "Just…I have a lot of things to think about right now."

"Hmm…" was the only reply from Vung. The Sheni seemed to be watching Daniel closely.

They chatted amiably as they walked toward the ship. They had just broached the topic of Daniel learning some of the Sheni arts when Vung suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared with narrowed eyes at the pavement beneath the ship.

Daniel followed his gaze, but didn't see anything. "What is it?" he asked. That skitterfly was back _again_ and in full force. It made the entire base of his neck buzz slightly, and was very distracting.

Vung shook his head, as if to clear it. "Nothing, I suppose. I thought—_DOWN!_" He pushed Daniel back suddenly.

_BOOM!_

The explosion knocked Daniel off his feet. Bits of white-hot metal rained down onto the pavement as he covered his head. He sat up dizzily, wincing when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He looked around and surveyed the confusion. Vung was running toward the charred skeletal remains of the Tel'tak, apparently shouting at the top of his lungs, but Daniel heard nothing. The explosion must have deafened him. Some sort of explosive must have been under the ship.

It was then that he saw the bodies.

SG-3 was no more.

* * *

It was a somber group who entered the Meeting Hall that evening. Daniel, whose hearing problem and broken had been mostly taken care of by a Healer in Dethpa, limped into the room and sat next to Vung in the first row of seats in front of the podium. The rest of the delegation from Earth sat behind them in the second row, and the rest sat behind them. 

Galdrona cleared his throat from his place behind the speaker's podium. "Ahem, we need to discuss what else can be done. The SGC's Tel'tak has been badly damaged."

Daniel scoffed. _Right, if "badly damaged" is a charred carcass of twisted metal._

Galdrona sent a heated look in his direction and continued. "Is there any other vehicle you could use, General?" he asked Hammond.

The General shook his head. "Not unless we use the X-303. It's still in the experimental stage, and I'm not sure how reliable it is," He turned to look at Carter. "Major?"

Carter stood up and shook her head. "I don't think that would work," At Hammond's questioning gaze, she continued. "It's not all that reliable yet, sir. We still need to make modifications to the thrusters; they still overheat within a few minutes in space. Not to mention that it needs to be _piloted_. You can't just program an autopilot like you can with a Tel'tak. Whoever did it would be going on a suicide mission. If you give me and the team a couple hours, and we might figure something out, but it's still _very_ risky. I'm not sure we can do it very quickly."

General Hammond nodded at her. "Noted. See what you _can_ do, however. These Goa'uld need to be stopped."

"Yes, sir." After a moment of thought, Carter added. "Could I ask for assistance from any of the Sheni here?"

Kate nodded at her. "I would be happy to help, Sam. It's been a while since we worked on a project together." The two old friends grinned at each other.

Daniel stood up and cleared his throat before either of them could gather steam. When it came to science and strategy, it was hard to keep either of them quiet. "Ahem. Is there any investigation going on as to who sabotaged the Tel'tak?"

Price Galqi turned toward him and spoke. "I see no reason for one. It seems obvious that your 'SG-3' wanted this mission to fail."

Hammond shot to his feet at this thinly veiled accusation. "Now, wait just a minute. It couldn't have been SG-3. They have risked their lives in combat with the Goa'uld so many times it makes me want to puke. There needs to be an investigation, your Highness, or we cannot continue to help. I'm not putting my people at unnecessary risk. They're in enough as it is."

Galqi shrugged. "Maybe they weren't trying to kill themselves, General. It could have been a simple delaying ploy gone wrong."

"Why would they do that?"

The prince shrugged again. "You tell me."

Hammond opened his mouth for a scathing retort, but O'Neill wisely shot a worried glance at Hammond before things got nasty. Hammond cooled down a little, but was still seething.

When Hammond didn't continue, O'Neill stood up to take his place in the conversation. "_Never_ accuse me or my people of _anything_ like this without anything more than spiteful assumption, _prince,_" he said the last word with a mocking lilt. "Or you will see exactly how angry I can be."

Galqi narrowed his eyes. "How dare you mock—?"

"SILENCE!"

The startled combatants turned to see Galdrona, his white-knuckled hands flat on the surface of the podium, his eyes flashing with fire. "An investigation is underway, General Hammond, you have my word. Prince Galqi," Galqi visibly cringed as the subject of the king's wrath. "At the moment, I am fully prepared to have my guards escort you out of this meeting by force. As I assume you wish to stay, you will not speak again unless is something of value. Understood?"

Galqi was fuming, but when he saw Kate, Vung, and several other Sheni step forward with their hands on the hilts of their lightstaffs, he backed down. "Yes, King Galdrona. I understand perfectly."

He sat back down, and the members of the Hall released a collective breath.

"Now, then," Galdrona turned his gaze back to Hammond, who noticed that his eyes seemed dimmer, almost tired. "Tell us about this X-303, if you would."

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**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	16. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello everyone!

I need to apologize for the continuing delays in this story. I have been swamped with that irritating situation known as "life at the beginning of college" and have not been working as diligently on my stories as a result. I wanted to warn you all that this story is going into hibernation as I re-write it. I can't read the first few chapters without wanting to scream and tear out my hair. Don't worry, it will be better than ever when I'm done.

I really hate to do this, as the story is not even half done, but I feel that I should rewrite the current chapters and write the rest, thus finishing it before I post it. When it is done, I'll post the whole thing, one chapter per day (hopefully) until it is finished.

Please review on this author's note and tell me whether I should keep what I have for now online, or delete the whole thing until it's reposted.

Again, my sincerest apologies, but life does tend to get in the way of my passion for writing.

Eruannelaviriel of the House of Hanauer


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